


Toward the Light

by OtakuAster



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Minor ReMind Spoilers, Post-Kingdom Hearts III, Vanitas Is Bad at Feelings (Kingdom Hearts), Vanitas Redemption (Kingdom Hearts)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:02:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 37,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27948755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OtakuAster/pseuds/OtakuAster
Summary: While searching the Realm of Darkness for any sign of Sora, Aqua, Ventus, and Terra run into Vanitas who had arrived there after the battle. After a close call, they end up taking him back with them, willing to give him a second chance.
Relationships: Aqua & Terra & Ventus (Kingdom Hearts), Aqua/Vanitas (Kingdom Hearts), Vanitas & Ventus (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 38
Kudos: 86





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Wow it's been a while since I've written a Kingdom Hearts fic, but because I'm still mad about what happened with Vanitas, here we are! This takes place just after that scene in ReMind, where Riku meets with the Wayfinder trio before they head for the Realm of Darkness. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

The air hung heavy, almost making it difficult to breathe. It enveloped her even through the armour she wore, weighing her down. Barely any light made it through her helmet, her eyes needing time to adjust to the new environment. But it didn’t matter; there wasn’t much to see anyway. It was the same barren wasteland she had gotten all too familiar with.

She was back. Back in the Realm of Darkness.

Aqua swallowed, doing her best to calm her breathing. She had to remember why she was there. It wasn’t an accident this time, she was there with a purpose. And this time she wouldn’t have to face the dark wasteland alone.

Someone’s hand brushed against her shoulder. Turning around, she saw Terra standing next to her, his face somehow emanating concern through his helmet.

“I’m fine,” she told him, nudging him away before he could say anything. Her unease hadn’t been that easy to sense, had it? Even Ven had stepped closer.

“Still, Aqua,” the boy said, moving his hand to her back in Terra’s place. “You shouldn’t have to push yourself. I know it’s gotta be tough to be here again.”

Aqua looked between the two boys. Her dearest friends. Despite everything they had gone through, that hadn’t changed. There were still times she needed to pinch herself, not quite believing that everything had worked out so well for them. They each still wore scars from their experiences, but she was happy to know it hadn’t changed their relationship much.

And now, she wasn’t alone any more.

“Thank you, you two,” she said, projecting her smile through her voice. “But I promise I’m fine. We have a job to do after all.”

The two of them nodded in acknowledgement. Finding Sora was their top priority. After everything that boy had done for them, there was no way they could just let him disappear like that. Everyone else was searching in their own way, and when the Realm of Darkness arose as a possible place, Aqua was the first to raise her hand. She was terrified, of course, but out of all of them, she was the one who knew that realm the best. And who knows, maybe it time to turn the tables and save Sora from the Realm of Darkness, like he had for her.

Only this time, they were not unprepared by any means, already making this journey a million times better than the last. Having her best friends by her side was only part of it. With their powers combined, they had the option of creating a doorway out at any moment. If only that had been a possibility for Aqua during her extended stay, but all that mattered is now they could escape whenever necessary. But starting the search would have to come before even thinking such thoughts.

“So,” Aqua began, grabbing her friends’ attention. “Shall we get going? Staying in one place too long isn’t a good idea.”

After another nod, they began their trek along the dark road, marching as close together as possible. Aqua kept her eyes open, trying to discern any landmarks, but the realm had shifted since she was last there. She was finally started to appreciate the momentous task that lay ahead of them, but that was no reason to give in.

With every step they took, she was alert to their surroundings. If she lost her concentration, the air would start to crush her again. But she couldn’t let that unease show, lest her friends start to worry for her again. All she would need to do was reach for their lights to let her know things were okay.

But she noticed one thing a while into their walk, when the environment slowly began to change. They had yet to run into any Heartless. For the amount of time they had spent down there walking, they should have at least encountered a few of them by now. A lack of Heartless was normally a good thing, but Aqua couldn’t help but feel on edge.

“It’s really quiet down here, isn’t it?” said Terra, as if sensing her thoughts. Aqua nodded, but couldn’t bring herself to say anything else. That feeling of dread kept growing.

“I was expecting we’d get into a fight by now,” mused Ven. “What do you think’s going on? Do you think the Heartless have all gathered somewhere else?”

That’s something Aqua had considered, but surely there would still be stragglers. Even though she knew very well that they liked to gather sometimes, it was still their realm, where new ones would appear almost endlessly. Seeing none was a more worrying sign than they’d think.

“I guess there’s only one way to find out,” she said, determined to continue onwards. If what Ven said was true, a horrifying amount of Heartless were gathered somewhere, and they would be able to spot that in an instant. But the more important thing was why they would be focused in one spot like that.

If something had caught their attention, it was well worth investigating.

Aqua stopped as soon as they entered a new area. Ahead of them lay a rocky space, with various formations littering the landscape. There were plenty of places to hide, and plenty to trip over if they weren’t careful. But that wasn’t what caught her attention. That cold weight on her chest had returned.

The others were starting to feel it too. A wave of darkness assaulted their senses, coming from somewhere just in front of them. They barely had time to react before the Heartless started to spawn. Almost like they were waiting in ambush, they soon surrounded them, ensuring there were no gaps to break through.

All three of them summoned their Keyblades, and readied themselves. The Heartless was a mix of the smaller variety, but even those could overwhelm you with sheer numbers. Aqua shuddered remembering the Demon Tower.

When the first Heartless charged forward, it was eliminated with an ice spell, marking the start of the battle. As more of them came forward, each wielder began cutting through them, doing what they could to keep a space between them and the Heartless. Even though they were now on the defensive, it would only take a few well-placed spells to turn things around in their favour.

As Terra and Ven took out the ones that got too close, Aqua readied a Shotlock, firing it once it was completely charged to decimate the ones lying straight ahead. Though it left an opening, it was quickly being filled in on either side.

“Hurry!” she shouted to her friends. “We have to keep moving!”

They charged ahead, aiming for a better vantage point. The uneven ground was difficult to traverse, but if they could just find the right spot, nothing would be able to touch them. However, the Heartless were just as determined, and simply moving forward was proving to be a challenge. Still, they persevered, and with each one vanquished, Aqua was sure the crowd was starting to thin.

But something strange caught her eye as she was preparing her next attack.

“Those heartless are being drawn away,” she said, pointing her Keyblade towards the group near a short rock face. “I can’t imagine just those ones lost interest.”

“You think something’s there?” Terra asked, slicing through an approaching Heartless.

She nodded, knocking the last Heartless out of her way. “Let’s go see.”

The trio moved forward, doing what they could to watch around them while gazing up ahead. Aqua jumped up a nearby platform to see better.

“There!” she yelled, pointing ahead. “Something’s definitely back there!”

Ven climbed up too, gasping when he saw what Aqua was pointing at. Terra did his best to follow.

“Can you tell what it is?” he asked them as he reached them.

“I can’t tell if it’s a Heartless or not,” said Ven, peering out. “It’s so far away, I can’t make out anything.”

Off in the distance, the Heartless were definitely crowding around something. But as Ven said, from there, it was impossible to tell what it was.

“We should find out what it is,” said Aqua, preparing to jump down. “It could be a person.”

“You think so?” asked Terra. “You don’t think it could be Sora?”

Aqua blasted a few Heartless from the ground before jumping down. She quickly lost sight of it, but she at least knew the right direction.

“I’m not sure,” she said, watching as Terra jumped down to join her. “If it was, don’t you we’d be able to tell?”

“I know what you mean. He’s a pretty flashy fighter after all.”

“Guys!” shouted Ven, who still stood on the platform. “I can see it better now! It definitely looks like a person!”

That was enough for Aqua. She charged through the next few Heartless in her way, before taking off running. The Heartless up this end seemed far less interested in her, so it was a lot easier to push her way through. There, just ahead, she spotted a figure jump into the shadows.

“Hey!” she shouted into the darkness. Ven was right. There had been a person there just moments before, but it was like it disappeared as soon as she laid eyes on it. It was impossible to tell anything about it, other than it was human sized.

Now she was this close, it was obvious the Heartless had no interest in the three heroes, and were instead drawn to whatever lay over there. The group were able to have their first space to breathe, despite the amount Heartless that still surrounded them. But they had to worry for the poor soul who attracted so much of the Heartless’ attention.

Just as they went to push through again, there was a disturbance in the crowd ahead. Aqua barely had time to think when the figure burst out from behind a rock pillar, Heartless at its tail. The figure gathered something in its hands, before blasting it at the ones behind. Darkness. The figure was using darkness.

Aqua reigned in her shock. She had to remember, she now knew people who used that power to help others. And besides, if they were being attacked like that, it was unlikely they were on the Heartless’ side.

“Let us help!” she shouted, just as she, Terra, and Ven finally pushed through to the figure’s vicinity. The person in front of them was still using the power of darkness to force the Heartless back, but it seemed like they were struggling. It was only when the group got closer that Aqua recognised him. Her blood ran cold.

If he noticed them approaching, he didn’t show any indication. Surely, he would have said something by now if he had. Ven must have realised who he was the same time as Aqua, judging from how his step faltered. She couldn’t blame him; this was one of the last people they wanted to see. His armour was still the same, making Aqua wonder why she hadn’t recognised him sooner. And then there was that mask he wore, its blackness letting nothing in.

After disposing of another Heartless, he finally turned to face them.

“…Vanitas,” Ven spoke. “Is that really you?”

The figure stared at them a moment, before letting out a cold laugh. It shook Aqua to the core, her mind flashing back to the times they fought. But then another Heartless flung itself at him, and his laughter stopped while he fended it off.

“While I’m sure this is a touching reunion for you all, don’t you think we have more important things to worry about?”

She would know that voice anywhere, there was no longer any doubt. But her initial fear began wearing off when looking at the state he was in. His armour was scuffed in places, and she was sure she saw a crack along his helmet. But despite that, he still tried to be cocky.

Aqua shot one last glance toward her friends, before dashing towards the figure in front of them, aiming spells at the Heartless surrounding him.

“Then let’s clear them away,” she said as she got closer. “Together.”

Vanitas let out another laugh as he pulled one away from him, crushing it into smoke.

“I don’t need your help,” he spat. “I was doing fine until you got here.”

“Don’t blame us,” spoke Terra once he caught up to them, a sharp edge in his voice. “Who’s to say it’s not your darkness that brought them here.”

“In case you hadn’t noticed, this whole place is darkness. But then your lights had to stroll in and mess everything up.”

Aqua doubted that. Ever since arriving, they only got the Heartless’ attention when they approached this place. Even if he was right and they upset the balance in some way, it was clear who they were really after. What Aqua couldn’t figure out was why.

“Guys, can we do this later?” Ven spoke up. “I got a lot of questions too, but we need to get rid of these guys first.”

Vanitas snapped his head towards him. “And I said I don’t need your help. Why don’t you go back to where you came from?”

“Don’t be stupid,” spoke Aqua. “There’s no way we’re leaving now. Not when we still have work to do.”

He scoffed. “Fine. Just don’t get in my way. I’ll cut you down like I should have ages ago.”

Aqua watched him. He still hadn’t summoned a Keyblade, it made her wonder if he could.

“I’d like to see you try,” she muttered.

The unlikely team continued to fight along. It was clear that Aqua and her friends were the ones pulling the weight, while Vanitas could do little more than keep the Heartless away from himself. But even in the Realm of Darkness, waves of Heartless like this would vanish eventually. Aqua could see more and more gaps opening in the crowd, and before long, they were down to the last dozen or so.

Vanitas was the one to take out the last Heartless with a well-aimed fireball. Afterwards, they each held their breath, waiting for the dust to settle.

When no more appeared, Aqua let out her breath, hearing the others do the same. But there wasn’t time to relax just yet. She turned to face the boy in front of them, watching as he leant against a nearby rock wall. No one was willing to let him out of their sight, but he didn’t look like he was in any shape to run away. His helmet had broken at some point during the battle, revealing some of his dark hair, and a single golden eye. He still had the mark of Xehanort, even though Aqua was sure it disappeared from the others.

As she stared, he finally lifted his head up. Distain for them was in that eye.

“Didn’t I tell you to get lost already?”

“That’s not happening,” spoke Terra, stepping towards him. “Not until we find out what you’re doing here.”

He chuckled. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m darkness… here in the darkness.”

“Did you end up here after the fight?” asked Ven. “We watched you fade. I thought you would have headed back to where you came from?”

“You mean you?” he scoffed. “Did you want me back so badly?”

“That’s not what I meant,” said Ven, dismissing his helmet so he could look at him directly. “You all came from the past, didn’t you? Why didn’t you go back?”

“Who can say?” he said, stepping towards them. “All I know is that I’m here now. The darkness is where I belong after all. Unlike you.”

Aqua took her helmet off too, brushing her hair out of her face. She felt uneasy about exposing her face to the darkness again, but she wanted to look him in the eye.

“We have a reason for being here,” she told him. “We’re trying to look for Sora. Have you seen him?”

He gaped at her, eye wide in disbelief. Aqua was about to question him, but then the laughter came again, more intense than before. He curled in on himself, his whole body shaking from the force of it.

“What are you, an idiot?” he spoke between breaths. “There’s no way that loser ended up here of all places. You don’t really think he’s down here, do you?”

Aqua narrowed her eyes. “We aren’t leaving a single stone unturned. And how can you be sure he isn’t here? Have you searched the entire realm?”

“I don’t need to. A light as disgustingly bright as his would be picked up in an instant.”

More of his helmet started breaking away as he spoke. He groaned, before using his hand to dismiss it all together. It was still astonishing how much he looked like Sora, but Aqua couldn’t imagine his face twisting like that.

She also couldn’t imagine him looking so exhausted. Dark circles hung under his eyes, an ill match for the sinister grin he wore.

“Don’t tell me the only reason you’re here is to go on some wild goose chase,” he spoke. “This is too much. You left your precious Realm of Light, nearly got devoured by Heartless, all because you think there’s a chance that little hero is here?”

“We don’t give up, Vanitas. Even if he’s unlikely to be here, we won’t stop until we’re sure. I’m not leaving anyone behind here.”

“Then you’ll be searching forever. Shouldn’t you know that, _Master Aqua_?” He sneered her name. “You were down here yourself for a while, weren’t you? You more than anyone should know how endless this place is.”

Endless. It had seemed that way, hadn’t it? But then her friends came for her.

“That’s all the more reason to search.”

He groaned. “Why are you all so stubborn? As much as I want to see you all fade into darkness, I’m doing you a favour. He’s not here, so get out.”

“We don’t take orders from you,” spoke Terra, brandishing his Keyblade. He too had taken his helmet off, showing the tranquil fury in his eyes.

Vanitas eyed it, his grin not leaving his face. “So what, you’re gonna kill me? I gotta admit, these Heartless were getting pretty boring.”

“Wait, Terra!” Ven stepped between them. “He hasn’t attacked us yet. There’s no reason to fight.”

“He’s right. He hasn’t even summoned his Keyblade yet.” Aqua turned back to Vanitas. “Is it because you can’t?” 

His eyes narrowed. “Don’t be stupid. I just didn’t need it to deal with those guys.”

“Really? Because it looks to me like you were having a lot of trouble.”

“You’re seeing things.”

“It looks like you haven’t slept either,” she continued. “Just how long have you been down here, fighting the shadows?”

His mouth twisted into an amused grin, contrasting the bags under his eyes. “Fighting? I’m in my element. Just because you suffered here doesn’t mean I do.”

“Ah, that explains why they were attacking you.”

“And I already said that was your fault. Your light must have aggravated them.”

“Perhaps, but they went after you, not us. And believe me, I know exhaustion, and while that fight didn’t help, I can see yours runs a lot deeper. Tell me, are you here because you want to be? Or are you stranded with no way out?”

His eye twitched. It looked like she struck a nerve.

“Shut up,” he growled. “Stop talking like you know me. I’m here because this is where I belong. I’m simply biding my time, regaining my strength, all so I can finally crush you all.”

“You don’t mean that, Vanitas,” Ven interjected. “Xehanort was the one who forced you to do all that. But he’s gone, there’s no reason for us to fight any more.”

Vanitas glared at him in disgust. “You’re wasting your breath. You and Sora’s little friendship speech didn’t work last time, so why would it work now?”

“Maybe we are wasting our time,” said Terra, turning back to his friends. “Come on, let’s go. We won’t attack if he doesn’t, so let’s just leave him be.”

“Huh. That’s the first time you said something intelligent.”

Terra snapped around to look at him, but Aqua jumped between them before things got messy.

“Ven has a point, you know,” Aqua said to Vanitas. “Xehanort is gone. He can’t control you anymore. And if I’ve learnt anything, it’s that people deserve a second chance.”

Vanitas seemed amused by that. “What’s this? You’re willing to forgive me? After all the times I tried to kill you and your friends?”

“If you’re willing to try, then yes.”

“Well, it’s too bad I’m not.” With that last word, he summoned his Keyblade. The three other wielders summoned theirs on reflex.

Aqua glared at him as she gripped at her Keyblade. “So you can summon it.”

“Your mistake was thinking I couldn’t.”

It was desperation, it had to be. The three of them had him surrounded, there was no point even starting the fight.

“You know you can’t take all three of us,” she tried to tell him. But he only laughed at her.

“Maybe not,” he grinned. “But I can definitely get at least one of you.”

With that, he vanished under the earth, but Aqua knew exactly what he was attempting. She dodged to the side just as he burst from the ground, before charging back in with a swing of her own Keyblade. She felt it clash against his, ignoring the shock that went through her arm. But she wouldn’t let up, pushing him back with all her strength. Now she was closer to him, she knew she was right. His Keyblade shook, like doing something as simple as holding her back was a struggle. His teeth clenched, and beads of sweat rolled down his face. He glared at her, his face contorting in irritation. Like he realised she knew the true condition he was in.

“What’s with that look?” he growled.

“You may have summoned it, but you can barely hold onto it, can you?”

With one last push, his footing began to slip. His Keyblade clanked to the ground and vanished, with him falling to his knees not long after. Aqua’s Keyblade was still pointed at him, ready to deliver a blow if necessary. But she wouldn’t strike.

Vanitas pulled his head up to look at her. “What are you waiting for? Do it. I know you want to.”

“Shut up,” she spoke. “I don’t attack enemies when they’re down. I’m not like you.”

He was mocking her. Just with that look, it’s like he was goading her.

“Aqua,” she heard Terra say, as he tried to step in. But she simply shook her head, clearing her mind.

“It’s alright,” she assured him. “He isn’t worth it.”

That got Vanitas to smirk again, but this time it had an edge of pain to it.

“So what, you’re gonna let me go. I don’t want your pity.”

He reached his arm up. Aqua prepared herself, thinking he would attack. But then he grabbed the tip of her Keyblade, pulling until towards him until it pointed at the centre of his forehead. Aqua could only stand there in disbelief.

“I said do it!” he nearly spat. “You saw how weak I am. Why don’t you let me die with some dignity?”

Horrified, Aqua dismissed her Keyblade. Vanitas fell further when he had nothing to hold onto, collapsing onto the ground in front of him. Aqua stared at him, shocked over the state of her former enemy. This wasn’t the same person who taunted her and her friends, who put up a good fight with her all those times before. In front of her now was just a shell, beaten down by the Realm of Darkness like all others who get lost there.

If she was still trapped, on the verge of fading away, would she be asking the same?

After a while, he pulled his head up again to glare at her, acid in his expression.

“What’s wrong, too scared to take me out? Or am I not even worth killing?”

“Look at yourself,” she spoke. “Is this what the Realm of Darkness has reduced you to? Do you really want to die that badly?”

He got back onto his knees, before slowly lifting himself up.

“You keep thinking this realm is bad for me. I would have disappeared completely if I hadn’t come here.”

“And at the rate you’re going you’ll disappear entirely!”

“So what? It’s not like I’m supposed to exist in the first place.”

“Vanitas!” Ven yelled. “Enough! I don’t want to hear you talk like that. Who cares if you weren’t supposed to exist, you’re still here now. I stand by what I said, you can be whatever you want now. But is fading into darkness really your answer?”

Vanitas didn’t answer, turning his glare towards Ven.

“How terrible is this realm,” Aqua murmured to herself. “That even those of darkness suffer here.”

The group looked towards her, not being able to hear what she said. But Aqua paid them no mind as she pondered something.

“Vanitas,” she spoke after a moment. “When we’re ready to leave, I want you to come back with us.”

Everyone stared at her like she grew a second head, each with varying levels of disbelief on their face. But Terra was the first to speak.

“Aqua, are you crazy? What are you saying?”

“No one deserves to be stuck down here, Terra,” she spoke, turning towards him. “That includes him.”

They turned back to Vanitas who had yet to speak. She had never seen such a look of bewilderment before. Like it was the last thing he expected her to say. He opened his mouth, but seemed to struggle to find the words.

“Are you… joking?” he finally said, before a hollow laugh escaped his lips. “You really think the Realm of Light will be any better for me? I’m not you, remember.”

“It can’t be any worse.”

“Wait, Aqua,” Terra interjected. “You can’t be serious.”

“But she’s right,” said Ven. “Look at him. He can’t live like this.”

Vanitas laughed again, irritation growing on his face.

“Since when do you decide how I live?”

Even Ven was getting frustrated. “Vanitas, we’re giving you a chance.”

“When will it get through that empty skull of yours that I don’t want one?”

Terra crossed his arms. “If he doesn’t want to go, we can’t force him. We can’t forget what we’re here for.”

“Can none of you idiots listen? I keep telling you, he isn’t here. You’re wasting your time.”

“Why should we believe you?” Terra asked, staring him down.

He scoffed. “What do I gain for lying about that? I’d love to see all of you fade into darkness trying to look, but I’d rather you all just get out of my sight.”

“This is getting nowhere,” said Terra, starting to walk. He turned around to see his friends still staring at Vanitas. “Come on. If we can’t convince him, there’s no point staying here.”

Ven glared at Vanitas sadly, but soon started following Terra. Aqua was the last still standing there, and caught the ire of Vanitas again.

“What? If you don’t hurry, your friends will leave you behind.”

“Aren’t you tired of this?” she asked him. “Is sticking to your ways really worth all the pain?”

“Why do you care so much anyway? You should be putting me out of my misery, not giving me a second chance. And you’re still here trying to reason with me, how stubborn can you get?”

She shook her head. “No. You’re the stubborn one.”

There was nothing more she could say. With one last glare, she turned to follow her friends, waiting for her just a little way ahead.

Continuing onward was the only thing left to do. The Heartless were cleared from the area, but they’d be back. They always would. The group made it past that rocky area, the smoother surroundings offering little in the way of cover, but was far easier to traverse.

Every now and then, Aqua would think back to the encounter. She did her best not to let that meeting get to her, but it was difficult to remember how pitiful he looked. How he asked her to put him out of his misery. This place had done that to him, despite what he said. That could have been her and she shuddered to think about it. But that meeting had shaken all of them, and she wondered how Ven was faring in particular.

She glanced at the boy. They had all put their helmets back on, so it was difficult to tell what he was thinking. He caught Aqua staring, and she imagined he was giving her his signature grin to reassure her.

“Guys, you shouldn’t let it get to you,” spoke up Terra from the lead. “He made his decision. There’s no use sparing him any more thought.”

“I know,” Aqua began. “It’s just… did you see how exhausted he was? Even if he was awful to us, he doesn’t deserve to die down here.”

Not here. All alone.

“It’ll be okay, Aqua,” said Ven. “He’s tough, so we shouldn’t underestimate him. We should be more worried about him trying to take over the place.”

“I don’t think we have to worry about that,” said Terra. He had a point; Vanitas was struggling against normal Heartless. But the thought wasn’t making Aqua feel any better.

“Still, should we have done more?” she pondered, slowing in her step. “I can’t help but feel like we’re leaving him to his death. I know he was our enemy, but I don’t feel right leaving him here in the state he’s in.”

After a few more steps, the others noticed Aqua was no longer following. They stopped to see her standing in place, staring at the ground.

“We could go back and try again,” Ven offered, walking back toward her. “Though he might actually attack us this time.”

Terra had turned back to face them, but didn’t make any other movements. “Aren’t we supposed to be looking for Sora?”

Aqua nodded. “Of course. But I know Sora wouldn’t want us leaving him behind if there was a chance we could help him.”

“So we go back, then what? Drag him along? He seemed pretty adamant about not helping us.”

Aqua was about to reply, when the ground began to shake below her feet. The others felt it too, each of them summoning their Keyblade. She scanned the area. Something was nearby, and from the way the ground shook, it was big.

“Keep your guard up,” she told them, as each of them readied themselves. Aqua peered through the darkness as best she could, searching for any sign of movement.

But that turned out not to be necessary. An enormous blast ran out from somewhere behind them. They all turned around, staring towards that rocky area, but nothing could be seen from where they were.

“That’s where we came from,” said Ven. “You don’t think…”

“Come on!” Aqua shouted before charging off, the others quickly behind.

That blast was near where they left Vanitas. Either he managed to cause it, which was a whole different problem, or something else did. Something that would have to be dealt with.

As they approached, it became obvious what the culprit was. Sitting in a giant crater in the middle of the area was a giant Heartless. It wasn’t quite as large as a Darkside, but it was large enough to crush them if it wished. Its body was almost plant-like, tendrils of darkness sprouting out of it like vines. Clumps of rock surrounded it, like it had burst from the ground in a violent explosion.

Just as they processed what they were seeing, they spotted a figure being flung away by one of the vines, smashing into a rock wall before slowly getting back to his feet. Another tendril poised to attack.

“Look out!” Aqua yelled, aiming a Shotlock towards it. The blast disintegrated it along with the ones nearby, clearing a path for her to get to him. Vanitas was propping himself up with his Keyblade, completely out of breath. His helmet was still gone, revealing the various scuffs on his face. Even so, he still managed to glare daggers at her.

“Why… are you here? I thought I told you to get lost.”

“We heard the blast and came running,” she said. “Good thing too, I didn’t expect you to be on your last legs as soon as we leave.”

“I don’t need your help! This thing is nothing.”

Before Aqua could retort, another vine reached for them from under their feet. She blasted it away before it could reach them, noting that Vanitas was slow to react to it.

“If we were any longer, you’d be dead,” she told him. “Please, let us handle it.”

“I’m not some princess who needs protecting. When will you get the hint?”

“Hey, Aqua!” Terra yelled out. He and Ven were a short distance, closer to the main monster. “This thing isn’t going down easy!”

“I’m on it!” she shouted back, preparing to join them. But before that, she turned back to Vanitas, watching as he still struggled to stand. “If you really think you’re capable, then help us. Otherwise, stay out of the way.”

“You think you can order me-”

Before he could finish, Aqua shot a spell behind him, vanquishing the tendril that snuck up trying to grab him. He hadn’t even noticed it that time.

“I can’t keep saving you. Either pull yourself together, or go hide somewhere.”

“You…” he growled at her, his fist shaking. If it weren’t for the situation, and the state he was in, she might have worried he would attack her again. But she couldn’t concern herself with him right now, and she had given him enough warnings. With one last glare, she turned her back on him to go join her friends.

Ven noticed her as she stepped over. “How is he?” he asked as he threw his Keyblade at the Heartless.

“He’s not listening. I don’t know if I can get through to him.”

“I’d be happy to try, but…” He stopped to knock back one of the dark vines. “This thing won’t let up.”

“You too?” Terra called out. “No matter what I throw at this thing, it just keeps coming!”

“I’ve never fought anything like this before,” said Aqua. “But this thing has to go down eventually!”

The trio went off, each attacking whatever tendril they could reach. Any attacks aimed towards the main body were reflected back by those vines, meaning they would need to come up with a strategy.

“Terra! Ven! Try and draw those vines away! I’ll see if I can aim a spell when its unprotected!”

There didn’t need to be words, she knew they understood what to do. Terra began hacking at the tendrils surrounding the monster, while Ven backed him up, ensuring none would get close enough to interrupt. Aqua took position, watching as the monster’s protection faded. Before long, Terra had revealed its form.

“Now!” she shouted, launching a high tier fire spell at the Heartless. It struck its centre, causing it to recoil. But the victory they felt was only brief. Before the smoke could even vanish, the ground rumbled once more, Aqua barely dodging to the side as an absurd number of vines burst out from beneath them.

“Did you just make it angry!” Vanitas shouted from where he stood. “You can’t be serious!”

Aqua flicked her head back to check on him, but her attention was brought back by the vines now aiming for her. As she worked to clear them away, she heard a grunt of pain, followed by the sound of someone clanging to the ground nearby. One of the tendrils had flung Vanitas a lot closer to them, and he didn’t look happy as he struggled to his feet.

“I thought you were supposed to be good at this!” he yelled, his face twisting in pain. He wasn’t even trying to hide it anymore. “Never mind me, your stupid plan is going to get us all killed!”

“Quiet,” she said, slicing at a few more vines. But for every one she defeated, two more grew in its place.

“Do you even know what that thing is?” he taunted. “Those vines seek out its victims, beat them down, and then devour them. That thing’s been eating most of the Heartless here, and now you three have shown up, it’s looking for a better meal.”

She thought back to the mess he was in when they encountered him. “But it was attacking you first. It didn’t appear anywhere near us. Ever since we came here, you were the one being attacked, Vanitas.”

He glared at her. “You’re imagining things.”

“Well, if you know so much about this thing, how do we defeat it?”

“If I knew that, it wouldn’t be a problem right now!”

A yell came from near the monster. Aqua turned towards it in time to watch Ven get flung back.

“Ven!” Terra and Aqua yelled at the same time. The boy landed a short way away from Aqua and Vanitas, and despite the throw, he managed to get to his feet fairly quickly.

“I’m okay!” he said as he took his stance again. If Ven, fast as he is, managed to get hit like that, either he was getting tired or this thing was even faster. Neither option was a good one.

They had to do something. At the rate they were going, they would all get devoured like Vanitas said. Aqua focused and weighed up their options. There weren’t very many, but there was one thing she could utilise that she didn’t have last time.

“Everyone!” she shouted, grabbing their attention. “We don’t know enough about this thing to defeat it. We should retreat for now!”

“Running away, are we?” muttered Vanitas.

“There’s no point to dying here! If we can get away, we should!”

“And how do you plan to do that, Master Aqua?” he mocked again. “In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re surrounded.”

“Terra! Ven!” she yelled to her friends, ignoring what Vanitas said. “Do it now! We have to get out of here!”

“Got it!” they both shouted back. With one last push, they banished away the vines in their vicinity, before aiming their Keyblades at a space above them. A beam of light shot from each, before joining together to split open a gateway. Afterwards they threw their Keyblades in the air, watching as they changed into gliders. They flew down to their respective owners, before each of them climbed on board. Only Vanitas remained on the ground, glaring at them in irritation.

“So, you’re just gonna fly away back to your Realm of Light? Cowards.”

Aqua looked down at him from her glider. They had flown just out of reach of the vines, but that wouldn’t be the case for long. Even so, none of them had taken flight yet. That doorway wouldn’t stay open very long.

“Come with us,” she told Vanitas again. “If you stay here, you’ll die.”

“I already said I’m not interested,” he spoke, slashing away at the vines who suddenly became more interested in him. Aqua couldn’t just watch, so she shot off a few spells with one hand, trying to stay close. She knew the second they left, those vines would just completely consume him.

“Do you really want to fade away that badly?” she asked, her disbelief leaking through. No one could be that foolish.

She herself had come close before, but there were people who saved her. And now it was the same for him. There were people willing to save him, yet he was pushing them away.

Vanitas looked up at her, and to her shock, started ignoring the tendrils around him. “Why do you care? Shouldn’t you be happy I’m meeting my end like this? The smart thing to do is just leave me behind.”

Aqua wanted to scream.

“No! I refuse!” she yelled, feeling her anger surge. “I don’t care who you are, I refuse to let anyone else fade into darkness like this!”

He still was still staring up at her, but his eyes had widened. There was that same surprise on his face from when she first asked him to go with them. Like he hadn’t expected anyone to fight for him. He hadn’t responded, but there was no time to wait for one.

Gritting her teeth, she aimed her glider downwards, slicing through various vines in an arc, before slowing down in front of Vanitas. When the way was finally clear, she reached out for him, offering him her hand. For the longest time, he just gawked at it, like he was waiting for some sort of trick.

“Take it, or I’ll drag you up myself,” she told him, and that was what it took to snap him out of his stupor. With one last click mutter under his breath, he reached for her hand, his fingers digging into her glove as she started to pull him up. Aqua used her strength to pull him onto her glider, feeling him collapse against the back of her armour when he was finally aboard. It was like his legs had finally given in.

“Aqua! We gotta go!” she heard Terra yell. She flew up towards him and Ven where they waited. Without wasting any more time, the group all flew up and into the portal, ensuring it shut as soon as the last glider made it through.

The group landed at the courtyard of the Land of Departure a little too hastily. Their gliders skid along the ground, each of them needing to brake before crashing into the staircase. As they sat there catching their breath, the first to touch the ground was Vanitas, who jumped off Aqua’s glider almost as soon as they landed. She eyed him while dismissing her glider and armour, making sure not to lose sight of him. He didn’t seem to be doing anything noteworthy, and was more or less just trying to shield his eyes from the sunlight. Aqua’s eyes ached from it too, but it wasn’t a concern right now.

As Aqua watched him, Terra came up behind her, his armour also gone.

“Aqua, you…”

“Yes, Terra. I brought him back. You didn’t think I would leave him there, did you?”

He looked as if he wanted to say something else, but held his tongue. Ven walked over to them, keeping his own eyes on Vanitas.

“Thank you, Aqua,” he said. “I would have hated to leave him behind too.”

“Well that’s just touching, but did you idiots even consider what I wanted?”

Vanitas was sneering at them, but there was almost an edge of delight in his features.

“You caught me, Aqua,” he began, a sly grin creeping to his face. “You’re right, I couldn’t get out. But now you’ve gone and done that for me, and thanks to you, I’m free to terrorise the worlds again.”

The trio glared at him, but Aqua didn’t let her expression falter.

“How will you do that?” she asked. “Considering you needed our help to even survive down there, I don’t think you’re in any condition to go around and terrorise anyone.”

“Don’t underestimate me. What if making you think I was weak was all part of my plan?”

“Then what are you still doing here? Shouldn’t you have made a corridor out of here yet? Or were you hoping for another rematch?”

He narrowed his eyes, but didn’t say anything else.

“Vanitas, you know we’re giving you a second chance, right?” said Ven. “You should take it. It could give you something else to live for.”

“The only thing I have to live for is watching you all suffer,” he spat. “You can keep your second chance.”

“Then why did you grab my hand?” Aqua asked. “If you were so determined to die before, you could have refused my help, but you didn’t.”

He clenched his fist. “You would have dragged me up anyway.”

“You’re right,” she admitted. “Do you know why?”

“Because you’re a moron.”

“Because I don’t leave people to die when there’s some way I can help them. Especially that place. And while you may act tough, I could see you slipping. You would have died, and I can’t have that sort of death on my conscience.”

“Ah, so it was because of your stupid hero complex,” he muttered. “You never even asked what I wanted.”

“I did give you a choice. And since you were the one to reach for my hand, I know which one you picked.”

His eyes flashed in anger, the only warning before he summoned his Keyblade. Everyone else did the same, leaving them all to stare at each other in stalemate.

“Shut up,” he growled, raising his Keyblade. “Stop it. Stop talking like you see through me! I can’t stand it!”

“I saw your face when I offered. Both times,” said Aqua, taking a step forward. Her Keyblade hung at her side, her stance relaxed. “No one’s ever given you a chance like this, have they?”

“Shut up.”

“But you’re right. I can’t quite forgive everything you’ve done. I know what sort of person you are. And if you refuse to take this to better yourself, there’s no helping it.”

He glared at her. “What are you talking about?”

“Terra, Ven,” she called out while still looking forward. “I’ll take full responsibility for this. It was my idea after all, and it was my actions that brought him here.” She stared at Vanitas, watching as he sneered at her. “Vanitas. You get a choice. Either you try to redeem yourself, try to fight for something other than the darkness.”

“Or?”

She frowned. “If I see you going back to your own ways, I’ll dispose of you myself. There won’t be any more chances.”

“I’d like to see you try-”

He didn’t get to finish before Aqua had her Keyblade pointed at his neck, her expression not changing.

“You can’t beat me in your current state. And even if you manage it, I have many friends who would do it in my place. So, I suggest you think this over.”

He gritted his teeth, as he glowered at her. She didn’t let up in her stance or expression, and only watched his face. It was still so exhausted, the earlier fights still affecting him. She had definitely damaged his pride doing all this, but she couldn’t think of another way to get through to him.

“Fine,” he muttered out after a while. He nudged her Keyblade away. “I’ll play nice. While I bide my time.”

She smirked back at him, lowering her weapon. “That’s all I ask for.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I’d like to give a huge thank you to nekokat42, who drew this amazing fan art of the first chapter!  
> https://baby-xemnas.tumblr.com/post/637396929638170624/from  
> I can’t believe someone liked my work enough to draw something this incredible!
> 
> I would also like to thank everyone who’s read, commented, kudosed, or bookmarked this fic so far. You’re all amazing!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Vanitas was irritated.

That was his constant state of being since he awoke in the Realm of Darkness, only growing worse after getting ‘rescued’. His skin itched under the new clothes he was forced to wear almost as soon as he arrived. They were loaned from Ventus, and he wanted to set them on fire the moment they were offered. His dark suit wasn’t good enough for them apparently, so he was stuck in a plain black shirt and pants, both slightly too small for him.

Someone coughed at him as he tugged at the sleeves again. He looked over to see Terra staring at him, as intensely as ever. That numbskull had been glaring at him since they got back, and it was starting to get on his last nerve.

“What do you want?” Vanitas growled at him.

“Just keeping an eye on you,” he spoke. “You were yanking at those clothes so hard I was worried you were gonna tear them off. Not exactly a sight I want to see.”

Vanitas dropped his hands and gaped at him.

“Huh?” he cried out. “Don’t be stupid. As if I’d show myself off to you!”

He had the audacity to grin at that. “Well then, the feeling’s mutual. So why don’t you try sitting still for once instead of squirming around so much.”

Hearing him talk like that was only making him more annoyed.

“Why don’t you make me?” He went to lunge at the idiot, but a tug on his shoulder stopped him in his tracks. Ventus was standing behind him, having moved there to hold him back. Vanitas tore himself away as soon as he realised. His lesser half even had the gall to look shocked, but that didn’t last long.

“Guys, can you knock it off?” said Ventus. He still looked pathetic even when he tried to be mad. “We still have to wait for Aqua to finish up, and she told us not to fight!”

Vanitas let out a laugh. “You really listen to everything she says, don’t you?”

Neither of them said anything, but he could feel their glares intensify. He imagined they were also tired of standing in the courtyard of their dull world, waiting for Aqua to finish giving her report to one of those old Masters. Vanitas remembered her hesitating beforehand, but it wasn’t his fault that she wouldn’t listen to him. He tried to warn her that bringing back a dangerous enemy with them would have consequences, and now she would have to pay the price. Just imagining her being torn down for a mistake like that brought a smile to his face. He only wished he could see it in person.

“What are you so happy about?” Terra muttered, his arms crossed. “I hope you realise the situation you’re in.”

“Oh yeah, I get it,” Vanitas scoffed, turning towards the brute. “I’m your prisoner because Aqua had to feed her ego.”

“Watch it.”

“Guys!” Ventus shouted again, trying to insert himself between them. “Look, fighting like this won’t get us anywhere. We all need to try and get along.”

“Ha, you’re delusional,” Vanitas said with a laugh. “I would kill you all given the chance.”

“Then do it,” Terra goaded him. “Oh wait, that’s right. You can’t. You already proved as much.”

Vanitas stared him down. “Don’t test me, you moron. I can think of plenty of ways to eliminate you.”

“Enough!” came a voice from a top the stairs. The boys all spun around to see Aqua coming down from the castle, and she did not look happy. She, like all of them, still wore signs of exhaustion from that fight in the Realm of Darkness, yet she still carried herself like a true Master. Or at least that’s what Vanitas would think if he didn’t know any better. All she was doing right now was conveying the illusion of strength.

The other two almost looked guilty under her gaze, but Vanitas couldn’t care less. He was just glad someone other than him would get reprimanded. Still, he couldn’t help himself.

“Well, if it isn’t Master Aqua,” he taunted, stepping forward as if to greet her. “Did you have fun getting scolded by someone above you?”

She stopped to shoot a dirty look at Vanitas before continuing toward the others, ignoring him. Whatever she was trying, it didn’t work. That look she gave him only filled him with delight.

The other two stood at attention as she spoke to them. “Master Yen Sid agrees that the best course of action was to escape,” she began. “We already lost Sora, and we don’t need to lose three more wielders as well.”

“But what if he’s still down there?” asked Terra. “We need to get back as soon as we can.”

“I asked him about that,” she continued. “It’s actually been a few weeks since we left here. But in all that time, no one else has had any luck in finding him. Even so, with a Heartless like that, we’d better make sure we’re prepared before going down there again.”

Vanitas couldn’t resist. They were all talking nonsense.

“You know, you all better pray I’m right, or there’s no hope for Sora. If that thing was scary enough to make the three of you run away, that idiot would have been devoured long ago.” He grinned while he imagined it. “Just think, if only you’d listen to me, you wouldn’t even have this dilemma.”

All of them turned to Vanitas, all of them glaring at him with different levels of contempt. It was nice to see some things hadn’t changed.

“That brings me back to you,” spoke Aqua, finally talking to him directly. “Master Yen Sid had his doubts, but he’s willing to change his mind about you.”

“Why would I care what some washed-up old Master thinks of me?”

“You’re lucky he didn’t order me to eliminate you immediately,” Aqua spat back. “And now, the other wielders know you’re back too, meaning they’re all prepared to hunt you down if you try anything. So, don’t make us go to the trouble.”

“But they won’t have to,” Terra spoke up. “The three of us are more than enough to deal with you.”

Vanitas resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He knew he wouldn’t go down easy, but they could think that if it helped them sleep at night.

“We have rules,” Aqua went on. “You won’t be allowed to leave the castle grounds under any circumstances. And one of us will keep watch over you at all times, so don’t think you’ll have any chance to sneak off.”

He wanted to laugh again. This was all so stupid.

“I thought you were all supposed to be looking for Sora,” Vanitas pointed out. “Yet, because of your brainless actions, you’re all stuck babysitting me. Well done, Master Aqua.”

“Stop that!” she snapped. He must have been wearing her down from the way she was starting to lose her cool. “I won’t regret rescuing you back then. But I also won’t regret disposing of you if need be.”

Vanitas scoffed at her, feeling his sleeves tug at his skin as he pulled away from her. They really were making normal movement difficult.

“We can get you some new clothes too if those don’t fit you so well.”

He looked back at her as she spoke, almost wondering if he misheard her. It was leagues away from what they’d just been talking about.

“I was fine with my dark suit,” he muttered.

“That thing was all torn up. And besides, you can’t wear something of darkness if we’re trying to reform you.”

“Reform me?”

They had said a lot of ridiculous things, but that might have been on top of the list. It was too much to even laugh at.

“Well, we can try,” she continued, paying no attention to the bewildered look on his face. “And a good place to start is getting you something better to wear.”

“That’s stupid. I never had the need for other clothes.”

“But things are different now,” Ventus spoke up. “And who knows, you might find regular clothes a lot more comfortable too.”

He balked at his lesser half. “As long as they’re not yours.”

“We can manage that,” said Aqua. “I’ll even take your input if you’re ready to take it seriously.”

“How generous. And? Is there anything else?”

Aqua frowned at his tone. He could only wonder why she was so surprised. “We’re all going to be living together,” she continued. “So, let’s all try and get along. It will make things easier on all of us.”

Vanitas looked at each of the people standing around him. Terra’s expression hadn’t changed from that glare he had since the beginning, but Ventus’ had gained an irritating edge of hope. Like he expected him to call them all his best friends and laugh together. He couldn’t be that naïve.

And Aqua, she was a weird mix of the two. She still had this disapproving glare, but like Ventus, it was like some part of her hoped he’d agree. That was what annoyed him the most; she should really know better.

“Well,” He smiled at them. “I’m not known for making things easy.”

With that, he pushed past the group, aiming towards the path down the mountain. He needed to get away from them for now, and the sooner he did that the better.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he heard Aqua shout at him from where she stood.

He turned back briefly, with no intention of stopping. “I’m not leaving the grounds,” he called back. “So why don’t you relax, Master Aqua.”

The others were yelling at him, but he didn’t care. Soon, he was far enough away that their voices faded. Where he was, only the wind could be heard beating down the mountain path.

What an empty world. A long time ago, he remembered coming here with Master Xehanort, who let him run loose so long as no one spotted him. He roamed the place enough that he could find his way around, even now. Just up ahead would be the training grounds overlooking a valley, where those idiots would beat up gold rings as practice. He scoffed at them.

_Rings don’t fight back. How stupid._

Ignoring them, he kept walking onwards toward the summit. This space was much more useful for training he thought, the area wide enough for any kind of battle. The only sore spot was a grave at the edge overlooking the cliff, probably for that Master of theirs. The flowers on it had wilted, no one watching over it while they were off parading around the Realm of Darkness. It was a sad sight to see, and it raised his spirits immensely.

But for now, he needed to focus. It was the first time he’d really been alone, heck, even since reforming. After looking back to make sure no one was following, he closed his eyes. Then, he called to the darkness within him. That feeling was still there, just far weaker than what he remembered. He poured all his concentration into it, and stretched his hand out in front of him.

Even so, no corridor would open for him.

As if it’d be that easy. The first thing he tried when he appeared in the Realm of Darkness, was to open a dark corridor. If he couldn’t do it there, it made sense that he couldn’t do it here.

His fist shook, only pitiful wisps of darkness seeping out. Now, he was annoyed. If he couldn’t do something as simple as opening a corridor, then the only way off this dull world was alongside one of the wielders that kept him there. And they wouldn’t be doing that any time soon.

A quick way out was a no go, but there were still other things he could try. His irritation clamoured at his heart, ready for release.

But something made him pause. Summoning Unversed had been as easy as breathing at one point, but something felt wrong when he focused on that emotion. Still, it might give him the edge he needed in this place. Again, making sure no one was watching, he called to that feeling of irritation.

His heart clenched from the sheer force of it, but out emerged a tiny Flood, somehow more pathetic looking than usual. He stared at the creature, watching as it gained its bearings. It wobbled on its feet, its tiny head flicking around. The thing looked just as out of place as he felt.

Then without warning, it charged at him. Vanitas swore as he dodged to the side, the creature’s claws barely missing him. He summoned his Keyblade in reflex, but even that didn’t seem to deter the it. Before it could try again, Vanitas slashed his weapon downwards, eliminating the creature in one strike.

In that moment, pain tore through his chest, so sharp it brought him to his knees. It was like a hot blade had pierced through his heart without a shred of mercy, nearly leaving him writhing on the ground. He tried not to cry out as he bit back that feeling of agony, gasping in breaths to stop himself from throwing up.

The pain was a terrible, yet familiar one. Only amplified.

After what felt like an eternity, it finally started to lift. His heart was still throbbing, but the level of pain grew more tolerable. What truly brought him torment was the shame in what that Unversed had done.

“Am I really so weak that even my own creations turn on me?” he muttered to no one in particular. Even hearing his own voice so ravaged like that was a mockery to his being.

He knew his current state was far from preferable, but was he really in such a pathetic condition? It wasn’t just the Unversed or the corridors he struggled with. Even his Keyblade had taken a while to come back to him, and it was pure luck that it came back when it did. Aqua was right when she thought he couldn’t summon it, but he would never admit that to her.

Still, the thought was comforting in a way. His Keyblade had come back to him, even after he had been unable to use it. It stands to reason that soon his other powers would return. All he needed was to build his strength.

Slowly, he pulled himself back up to his feet. Kneeling on the ground wouldn’t achieve anything. He used his Keyblade to help him stand while gazing near the path he came from. Vanitas wasn’t sure what excuse he’d give if any of them saw him on the ground like that.

He froze. Something caught the corner of his eye as he looked towards the cliff face.

It disappeared behind a pillar as soon as his eyes locked onto it. To his relief, the thing was far too small to be one of the wielders, and almost looked like a sort of animal. Only Vanitas didn’t remember any animals like that living here from the last time he surveyed the place. He pulled his Keyblade from the ground and stepped towards it, but it was like it had vanished. It might have just scurried off, but there was nowhere for it to hide up here. Whatever it was, it was strange. He would describe it as more of a stuffed toy than an animal, but those didn’t usually run around as far as he knew.

Before he could investigate further, he felt another presence coming up the mountain. This one, he’d know from miles away.

Ventus.

Vanitas groaned. He hoped he wasn’t here to try and convince him some more that they should all be friends or something. There was only so much of that he could take. Stepping back towards the centre of the area, Vanitas waited for him to show up at the path’s entrance, but he seemed to be keeping his distance for some reason. He remained just out of sight, like some irritating shadow. Like he thought he didn’t even need to be in his vicinity to watch over him. Vanitas wanted to yell out that he knew he was there, but that might encourage conversation.

When he thought back, he did remember them saying something about keeping an eye on him at all times. Would that mean he’d have one of them trailing after him forever? Did they really have nothing better to do? At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to punish his lesser half for thinking he could possibly spy on him. But with his form the way it was, he was more likely just to embarrass himself.

He needed his strength back. Everything else would have to wait. Even joining back up with Ventus was unfeasible at the moment, as he was certain he would just dissolve into his light. He’d rather die than live on in that moron’s body with him calling the shots.

Doing his best to ignore Ventus, Vanitas gripped his Keyblade and began doing some practice swings. It was a pathetic way to train, but it suited him for now. It would be nice to have an actual opponent, but the way he was, his pride would suffer if he met defeat too quickly again. Like back in the Realm of Darkness.

Vanitas gritted his teeth at the memory. Aqua had acted so smug when she stared him down, he couldn’t stand it. The way she stared at him like he was nothing, like she completely forgot all the times he had her on the edge of death.

He swung his Keyblade down, picturing Aqua was in front of him. Only this time, she was the one on her knees, struggling to keep him back. Eventually, she would lose grip of her Keyblade, letting it dissolve away. All while his points towards her head. Just like last time.

Only he isn’t her. He would finish the job.

His Keyblade slammed into the ground as he visualised it. One day, that wouldn’t be just fantasy. Her friends would get in the way, but he imagined he would take them out first. Making her watch. It’s what she deserved for humiliating him like that.

It was what came after that he had trouble picturing. Every Keybearer, Master or not, would come for him. He didn’t dare imagine being able to take out all of them, but he would make sure he’d take down as many as he could. If his path lead to death anyway, he’d do his best to cause as much chaos as possible.

He grinned at the thought of having his revenge, his heart bubbling with the hatred he felt towards them all. There was the familiar feeling of an Unversed forming, but held it back. The last thing he wanted was someone, especially Ventus, see him struggle against his own creation. Or even _help_ him. If the Realm of Darkness hadn’t crushed his pride already, that certainly would.

Like that, his mood shifted to irritation again. Wanting some outlet, he yanked his Keyblade from the ground and tossed it away from him as far as possible. It flew all the way over the edge of the cliff before vanishing and appearing back in his hand. At least he could still rely on the weapon to come to him, but it didn’t do much to soothe his frustration.

He could have sworn he felt Ventus move closer, but something stopped him before he could get to him. Whatever it was, Vanitas was glad. He was the last person he wanted to talk to right now, not that he’d want to on a good day. He wasn’t enjoying the feeling of being watched either, especially now. Maybe it was worth trying to find somewhere hidden on this world, even if he was sure any hiding spots would be discovered quickly.

Regardless, there was no point standing in the middle of the training ground anymore. He had barely trained, but he was already bored with it. Vanitas dismissed his Keyblade, before stepping back towards the mountain path, already sensing Ventus moving out of the way. If he tried anything, Vanitas would just ignore him. Unless it was something that really got on his nerves.

But Ventus made no attempts to approach him, even though Vanitas could feel him still following him. At this point, it was almost more annoying than having him just run up to him and start talking. He had to have known that he’d never been hidden from him the entire time they were up there.

It took him walking all the way to the castle courtyard before the moron went away. Vanitas should have been relieved, but that probably meant Terra or Aqua were right behind those doors. Maybe there was no point delaying the inevitable, as he was sure one or both of them would confront him eventually. Grumbling to himself, he pushed the doors open, revealing the dimly lit hall inside. No one was in the hallway as far as he saw, but he could hear sounds coming from above. Someone must have had the same idea as him and decided to use this time to train. He moved to ascend the staircase, hearing the swoosh of magic being cast. From that alone, he had a pretty good idea of who was up there.

Sure enough, he saw her as he neared the end of the staircase. Aqua stood in the centre of the room with her Keyblade raised, in the middle of some sort of target practice. She shot spells at random balls of light as they floated around, bouncing harmlessly. He held back a groan. Rings, balls, every method of training they had seemed duller than the last.

He made sure to hide himself behind one of the banisters so she wouldn’t notice him, but kept his eyes glued on her as she moved around. Even though her opponent was orbs, she seemed to be putting her all into it. She practically glided around the room, manoeuvring her body so she would always have a clear shot at the target. Every spell was precise, every subtle movement served a purpose. One after another, the orbs would vanish in a burst of light, only for more to take their place. Vanitas could only watch. He hadn’t really been able to see her fight anyone aside from him this close, so it was fascinating to see how she did things. But he needed to keep as still as possible so he wouldn’t reveal his presence. If he ever wanted to gain the upper hand, he would have to study how she fought, and there was no way she would just let him do that.

She paused in her step, looking ready to summon another spell. Vanitas held his breath as he watched to see what she would do next. Every movement until now had been fluid, like some complex dance only she knew the steps to. If she paused to concentrate like that, something spectacular must be coming. At that thought, he stopped and chided himself. He was supposed to be observing her, not getting mesmerised. He needed to focus on what she was doing, or he’d never learn a thing.

What he hadn’t expected was for her to spin towards him, launching a ball of light in his direction. He leapt back instinctively as it struck the wall beside his head, and almost tripped down the stairs in his haste. The thing was so close to hitting him he was sure it singed his hair. After tugging at the strands to check them, he looked back up at Aqua who stared him down from across the room.

He narrowed his eyes. “You know, if you want to kill me, I at least expect you not to take cheat shots.”

“How long were you standing there?” she asked him, her face blank. The way she remained so composed irritated him for some reason.

“I just got here. Don’t flatter yourself.”

She frowned at that. Good, she was reacting to something again. But it was short lived, as she soon collected herself again.

“Well, I’m glad you decided to come back,” she said, dismissing her Keyblade. “I was worried I’d have to drag you back from somewhere.”

There was no point trying to hide anymore, so he stepped towards her, keeping several feet between them. He saw her guard go up as he approached, but she wouldn’t summon her weapon again. He wasn’t sure whether to be offended or not.

“Believe me,” he spoke. “I wouldn’t be here if I had any other choice.”

“I know. So, you better get used to things.”

She walked over to the remaining balls of light floating in the corner of the room, and dismissed them with a wave of her hand. Vanitas let out a laugh.

“I’m so glad you managed to vanquish the almighty light balls of doom and chaos. We’d all be in trouble if those things got loose.”

“Do you ever shut up?” she said, snapping her head towards him. Ah, there was that animosity again. He could only laugh at it.

“Hey, you were the one who brought me here. It’s on you.”

She took in a sharp breath, like she was doing all she could to remain calm.

“Alright,” she began. “So, do you want something? Say whatever you want, I know you were there too long to have just gotten there.”

That caught him off guard a little bit. There’s no way he’d been there that long. But he couldn’t let her faze him like that.

“There’s plenty of things I want, Aqua,” he said, smirking. “But nothing you’re willing to give me.”

There was that frown again, but it was brushed aside as quick as it came.

“Try me,” she said. “As long as it’s something reasonable, we’ll do what we can to make you comfortable here.”

He wanted to laugh again. She couldn’t be serious.

“You’re so hospitable,” he told her. “In that case, why don’t you tell your pathetic friends not to follow me around so much. I only just lost Ventus after he stalked me around the entire mountain.”

“That was part of the deal, Vanitas,” she said. “One of us has to watch you at all times. If it’s not one of them, it’ll be me.”

“What an incredible waste of time. Don’t you have a hero to save?” Vanitas took a pause. “Oh wait, that’s right. You have no idea where he is. Shouldn’t you be off looking in that case?”

Her fist clenched. “We hadn’t finished searching the Realm of Darkness before we ran into that Heartless. And you. And there was still more you haven’t told us about that.”

“I already said I don’t know how to defeat it.”

“Then, why was it after you? Can you explain that?”

She spoke like she already knew something. It was just like back then. She thought she knew everything.

“I don’t know what you mean,” he said, his voice warning her to drop it.

“Come on, Vanitas. I’m not stupid.” She stepped closer, like it was some attempt to intimidate him. “I can make a guess. I know they go after the darkness in people, and I’m sure they thought you were easy pickings from how feeble you were back then.”

“You’re still going on about that?” he snapped. “You don’t know anything about the state I was in!”

“Would you give it a rest?” she shouted, trying to match his tone. “What matters is we saved you from them, and now, you get a chance to actually live your life.”

“Stuck here, you mean? Some life.”

“It’s not so bad,” she insisted, shrugging her shoulders. “I spent years here before I was allowed to go to other worlds.”

“Well that’s great for you. This place reeks of light, you probably fit right in.”

“You might too. Just give it a chance. It’ll make things easier on yourself.”

“And if I don’t, it’ll make it harder on you.”

She frowned again. “Not necessarily. Remember, I can just take you out.”

As she spoke, he summoned his Keyblade almost on reflex. Her eyes widened, but soon a sadness filled them. Not that he cared.

“Alright, then do it. Like I told you to,” he told her, watching her sadness shift to a sort of annoyance.

“This again?” She rolled her eyes. “You may talk all suicidal, but your actions say something different.”

He blinked at her. “Huh? What are you talking about now?”

She circled him, but he wouldn’t let her out of his sight. She hadn’t even summoned her weapon yet; what was she planning to do?

“If you really wanted to die, you would have found a way by now.”

There she went again, talking like she knew him.

“Maybe I want to take you with me.”

That got her to stop in her tracks. But she wasn’t intimidated at all, and only stared at him.

“Then you’ll have to get stronger.”

Stronger. He hated it, but she was saying something he knew already. As he was, he didn’t stand a chance. But it wouldn’t be that way forever, he would make sure of it.

“Fine,” he spoke through clenched teeth. His grip on the handle tightened. “Then I’ll get stronger. Strong enough to beat you.”

“Glad to hear it.” And with that, she finally summoned her own Keyblade. Vanitas eyed it, something in his chest jumping. It wasn’t fear, more like anticipation.

“What’s this? You’re finally gonna fight me?”

“Not a fight,” she said, as she started circling him again. “Think of it as training. I want to see how strong you really are, now that you’re all rested.”

“Really?” he smirked. “Careful, Aqua. I might be stronger than you realise.”

“I had no problems defeating you back then. Why would I now?”

“No problems?” He had to laugh. “From what I remember, I almost took your life several times.”

“Almost.”

“Right here!” he exclaimed, spreading out his arms, his Keyblade striking at nothing. “Don’t you remember? If your idiot friends hadn’t interfered, you would be dead by my hand.”

She took a moment to think. “Well, I was much like you that time. Weak from the Realm of Darkness.”

“Come on, that’s an excuse. It wasn’t the first time Ventus had to save you from me either.”

“Even so, what makes you think you stand a chance now? As you are, I could fight you blindfolded.”

This level of confidence was something else. He would be annoyed if it came from anyone else, but from her, it almost felt like she had the skills to back it up.

He was grinning now. “Oh? Wanna test that?”

Without another word, he charged for her. She prepared herself like she was expecting a frontal assault, but she should know better. He was really aiming for the space behind her. As long as he was quick enough, he would surely get a strike in. When he reached her vicinity, he teleported behind her, readying his weapon.

“Too-”

“ _-slow?_ ”

Before he could even land a hit, she swivelled around to exactly where he’d be, parrying his blade with her own. She was grinning, as if she was proud of herself for guessing what he’d been about to say.

“You always go for the sneak attack,” she said, pushing down. He squeezed the handle of his Keyblade, trying to match the strength she displayed.

“So what? You think you can read me?”

“I do,” she said without hesitating. “I’ve fought you enough times to know how you move.”

“Is that right?” Now, a smile came to his face. She must have seen it from the way he felt her falter. He would definitely catch her off guard this time. There was one thing he hadn’t tried in any of their fights.

He turned his face down so she wouldn’t see his expression, and focused. Even so, she realised far too quickly that he was no longer in front of her. She spun around to parry his blow from above, but that wasn’t even close to the end of it. He leapt away from her and hit the ground in a kneeling position, looking as if he were ready to dart away.

Instead, he began gathering darkness around his body. It was a strain, but he could at least do that much. Aqua watched him with a guarded look on her face, but he could see the cracks of anxiety forming. He shot one last grin before the darkness covered his head, and dismissed his Keyblade while making a show of it. He wouldn’t need it for this.

Then, he charged right for her, his body nearly dissolving into shadow. His heart screamed at him from the pressure, but he ignored it. The way her eyes widened in shock made it all worth it. She readied her blade, but there was no point to it. In the moment he was within striking distance, he vanished below the ground, leaving not a trace behind. He could imagine her eyes darting around, trying to figure out where he’d appear.

But she couldn’t have expected him to appear right behind her again, not after a show like that. The pool of darkness he emerged from was close enough to almost suck her in. He shot out of that blackness, the darkness retreating from his body in an instant. His body was exposed and his strength had started to flee, but it wasn’t over. Time slowed down as he reached an arm towards her. He brushed his bare hand against the small of her back, lighter than he wanted, but she still jolted under his touch.

_Got you._

Before he could fully celebrate, there was a sudden pressure in his abdomen. Then, he was flying away from her, before hitting the floor hard. His body rolled a few times before finally landing on his stomach, and he heaved from the force of it. Doing what he could to ignore the pain, he pulled his head up to look at her. One of her legs was extended outward, and there was a seething look on her face.

“What even was that move?” she hissed at him. “What were you even trying to do?”

He rolled over onto his back, his entire body aching. The kick was impressive, but it wasn’t what was causing him pain. What really wrecked him was dissolving into darkness like that, especially after the Unversed fiasco earlier. But it was worth it to see the look on her face. Like anger, but different. He wanted to laugh, harder than he had since he got there, but no air would come from his compressed lungs.

Aqua let out a frustrated groan, that look turning back into anger.

“What’s wrong with you?” she asked, growing more exasperated. “That move took so much out of you. I didn’t even kick you that hard, and you’re lying there wheezing.”

“Doesn’t… matter,” he spoke as he tried to sit up. He turned his eyes towards her, smirking through the pain. “I… touched you, didn’t I? If I… can do that… I can defeat you.”

She looked away from his gaze. “You think being able to touch me is the same as being able to kill me? You’d be stupid to even attempt something like that.”

“Still… I caught you off guard, didn’t I?”

“Just don’t do that again. I mean it. You’re not supposed to fade into darkness, remember?”

“But it worked… didn’t it?”

She groaned again, cradling her head like she had a headache. He really had gotten to her that time. Despite his battered body, he felt like he succeeded in a way.

Then, Aqua started to move closer, Vanitas watching as she did. He was in no shape to try and move away, but he was curious about what she’d do. When she stopped in front of him, he opened his mouth to say something, but then he felt the pain start to leave his body. His head jolted upwards to see Aqua casting some light over him with her Keyblade.

“There,” she said as the light faded. Vanitas felt some of his strength start to return. “I didn’t expect to have to save you from yourself again so soon.”

He gaped at her. “Did you just heal me?”

“Yes, I did. You’re not going to complain about that, are you?”

Vanitas grumbled, before rising to his feet. “I thought I said I don’t want pity. You’re not supposed to heal your enemies.”

“We’re not enemies anymore, Vanitas!” she shouted. “You don’t have to keep fighting this. Listen, you wanna be stronger? Then I’ll help you.”

Now she was talking complete nonsense.

“Huh?” he exclaimed, jumping away expecting a trick. “Why? Don’t you know it’s over for all of you as soon as I get my strength back?”

“I don’t believe that. Besides, it’s not like you stood a chance against us back in your prime either.”

His eyes darkened. “And I thought you said you didn’t wanna fight.”

She raised her Keyblade. “The best way to get stronger is to practice. Properly. I’ll start off going easy on you, as long as you promise not to do that again.”

He watched her for a moment, before summoning his Keyblade again. There was no way she was serious about this. “What makes you think I want you to go easy?”

“It’s the only chance you have.”

That pride was something else. He smirked. “When did you get so full of yourself?”

“Maybe you’re rubbing off on me.”

That got him to laugh. “Oh, is that so? Careful, Aqua. You don’t wanna take after me too much.”

She held her Keyblade out to him. “Okay, how about this. Why don’t you try and disarm me? If you manage that, I’ll stop going easy on you.”

“Really? I’m gonna hold you to that.”

“Don’t worry. I tend to keep my word.”

He gave her one last smirk before charging, their Keyblade’s clanging together once more. But even though Vanitas was pushing back with all he could, Aqua almost looked bored. Their difference in strength couldn’t have been that much. Vanitas was getting annoyed again.

“Is that all?” she asked nonchalantly, like she wasn’t in the middle of a fight. “Did you need to rest up a bit more first?”

“Shut up,” he muttered, taking another swing at her, only to have it blocked without effort. He blamed those sleeves for limiting his movement.

“You know, you used to be a lot faster,” she mused. “Maybe we should get Ven to help train you.”

He swung his Keyblade down with all his strength. Still not enough, she barely even jolted. He glared at her.

“I am _not_ training with Ventus.”

“What about Terra? Strength training is more his thing anyway.”

Vanitas didn’t even want to picture it.

“Ugh, pass.”

“So then, what makes me so special?”

He froze up at her question, his Keyblade almost slipping before he regained control. It was a good question, one he even asked himself. Out of all the idiots there, why did he want to train with Aqua over the others?

Because she was clearly the most skilled out of the three? That made sense, but that didn’t feel like the whole answer. Just thinking about it was starting to irritate him. He looked up at her and he could see her staring at him, waiting for an answer.

“Vanitas?”

His eyes drifted away as he thought it over. What did she even want him to say?

“You were always my more interesting fights,” he admitted, still locking blades with her. “You may not look it, but you can be completely ruthless. I’d love to defeat you one day, and to do that, learning how you fight just makes sense to me.”

She hadn’t responded for a while. Vanitas looked up at her again, and was surprised to see a conflicted look on her face. She seemed peeved, yet part of her also seemed flattered. It was a weird mix.

“Oh,” she spoke. “So that’s why you were watching me earlier.”

He glared at her. “I already told you I wasn’t. There you go getting full of yourself again.”

There was a strange expression on her face again. Only this time, Vanitas could get a closer look. Anger, but her face had reddened in an interesting way, bringing out the shape of her cheeks. After a certain point, she wouldn’t meet his eyes either, and he didn’t really know what to make of it.

“You won’t defeat me anytime soon,” she muttered, pushing against him again. He pushed down harder in response.

“It’ll happen. And yet, you’re helping me. I thought you were supposed to be the smart one.”

“While it’s great you have something to shoot towards, maybe we should start with something more realistic.”

He pulled back his Keyblade to slam it against her again, her words making him laugh. She looked at him in surprise.

“Look at you so full of yourself, Master Aqua! That kinda arrogance will get you killed one day.”

She almost smiled at that, and it made him question his own eyes. What’s wrong with her?

“Then I’ll have to be careful.”

With that, she moved her Keyblade in an arc, using it to dislodge Vanitas’ Keyblade from his hand. It flew across the room before clanging to the ground, while he could only watch.

“Wanna try again?” she asked, tossing her blade in a flourish. “Or would you like to rest some more?”

He summoned his Keyblade again without hesitating.

“What do you think?”

They clashed several more times, Vanitas not letting up. Even as he felt his limbs start to ache again, he wouldn’t let himself be defeated so easily.

Eventually Aqua was the one who stopped, dismissing her Keyblade before he could take another swing.

“That’s enough for today,” she said, looking over him. “You look like you’re about to collapse again.”

“No way,” he said, lifting his weapon. “I can keep going.”

She paid him no mind, turning her head towards a window to watch the orange rays of dusk seeping in.

“It’s getting late anyway,” she said, turning back to Vanitas. “We can’t keep training forever. I need to rest too.”

Clicking his tongue, he dismissed his Keyblade. He turned her, expecting them to start heading out, but she kept staring at him with her hand on her chin. Now, she had glared at him a lot today, but this felt different, like she was thinking of something.

“What?”

“You know, we should really get you some clothes that fit you better. It might help you out a lot.”

He blinked at her, not quite expecting that. She mentioned it earlier, but he tugged at his sleeves again, wondering if it was that noticeable.

“Oh yeah? And where would I get something like that?”

“I can probably whip something together. I’m actually pretty good with a needle and thread.”

Now that was really unexpected. “What? Why go to so much effort for me?”

“It helps me out too,” she said, stepping closer. “If we can get you out of Ven’s clothes and into something that suits you, who knows, maybe your mood will improve.”

“Well, don’t hold your breath.”

“That’s why I need your input. I want to make something you’ll like.”

She had gotten a lot closer. Vanitas could only stare at her again, but the way she was acting was really throwing him off. They were just fighting, and now this.

“You know what I like. My dark suit.”

“Well, maybe we can use the same colours. I got a lot of different fabrics so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

He couldn’t take it any more and turned away from her. There was a really weird look in her eye, almost like earnestness.

“Do what you want,” he said, wanting the conversation to end. “As long as I don’t have to wear this much longer.”

“I’d better get started then.”

Without another word, she walked past him, heading towards one of the side exits. But he realised he wasn’t done with her yet. He spun around and took a step towards her.

“Hey!” he called out. She turned back to him, perplexed. “This fight isn’t over yet. I expect you to fight me again tomorrow, and don’t hold back this time.”

To his surprise, she covered her mouth and started laughing. It wasn’t a sinister one like his by any means, it was more joyful, like she heard a joke. The sound ran around his head without his permission, and he didn’t know if that irritated him or not.

“Alright,” she said, a shadow of a smile on her face. “I’ll try not to hold back so much.”

There she went acting weird again. What was she smiling like that for?

“Good,” he muttered, turning away from her. He didn’t want to look at her right now, not when she’s like this. He waited until he heard the door shut before moving again, not realising he’d frozen in place. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to collect his thoughts.

Something was definitely wrong with her. They argue, they fight, then she tries to help him?

“There’s no way you forgot everything already,” he muttered to himself.

She was actually helping him? Saving him from the brink of death was one thing, but this was all stupid stuff. She’d waste her own time doing something only so he’d be more comfortable. So he’d get stronger. What a moron.

And what really threw him was the faces she made during the fight. She did her best to stay composed, but after only a little prodding, a whole assortment of emotions would come out. He didn’t even have a name for most of them. It was a lot of fun at first, seeing the different ways her anger would come out, but then it just got stranger.

Then she laughed at the end. Like she was enjoying herself. Ridiculous.

His hand found its way to his face, and he smiled against it. “You really are a strange one, Aqua.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I have a tumblr at http://otakuaster.tumblr.com/ if anyone’s interested. Thanks again!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> Thanks again to everyone supporting this fic. I cherish each and every one of you.  
> This chapter was probably too much fun to write, which is probably why it's just over 10k words...  
> But anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Vanitas could feel Ventus gaping at him the moment he stepped outside the castle. Far too late to try and ignore him, he groaned and began to descend the staircase. His head pounded just seeing the way Ventus’ eyes lit up, and it only got worse as his lesser half ran over to him with a stupid grin on his face. Vanitas shot a glare at him and spoke before he could even open his mouth.

“What do you want, idiot?”

Better he got it out of the way. Ventus’ smile dropped a fraction, but he recovered it quickly.

“Nice outfit,” he said. “It’s suits you.”

Vanitas balked, now regretting his decision to wear the thing. It had only been about a week since arriving when he awoke to a box at his door, this outfit inside it. Aqua probably didn’t want to risk giving it in person, and he didn’t blame her. He wanted to hate the thing, but true to her word, she kept as many of his preferences as possible. It was a long sleeveless coat which went past his waist, coloured a deep red with black accents. He had developed a vendetta against sleeves after wearing Ventus’ shirts, and he remembered making it clear to Aqua that he wasn’t in any rush to go back. The rest of the outfit was fairly plain; a dark V-neck shirt, with black and grey pants and a pair of matching boots. He was actually pretty surprised by the whole thing, expecting something more bottom of the barrel even after his input.

He only wished Ventus wasn’t the first person he ran into after putting it on.

“Anything’s better than the garbage you wear,” he told him.

Ventus frowned at him. “You know, you don’t have to keep insulting me. Doesn’t it get tiring?”

“Not at all. It’s basically my only entertainment here anyway.”

“That’s not true,” he claimed, shaking his head. “There’s a lot of stuff to do around here. For instance, me and Terra usually spend the time practicing. That’s pretty fun.”

“And Aqua?” The words slipped out of Vanitas’ mouth before he could stop them. He wished he could rewind time so he didn’t have to see that surprised look Ventus wore.

“Her too,” Ventus said quickly. “But it’s hard to keep up with her sometimes now she’s a Master. Neither of us are as good at magic as she is, so I think she likes to practice that by herself.”

Vanitas huffed, part of him glad Ventus wasn’t questioning him about his slip up. “That explains why you’re both terrible.”

“Hey, I’m not too bad,” he said, his frown returning. “I remember giving you a hard time back when we fought.”

Ventus could believe that if he wanted, but they still weren’t anywhere near Aqua’s level. He didn’t want to give her any praise, but it made all too much sense to him that she was a Master while the others weren’t.

“Whatever.” Vanitas was getting a headache again. Seemed that even after several days of being here, Ventus didn’t get any less irritating to be around. He went to walk past him again, hoping to get to the mountain path, but then Ventus began trailing after him.

“Wait, Vanitas! I wanted to ask you about something.”

Vanitas stopped in his tracks, weighing his options. If he ignored him and kept walking, Ventus would probably only yell some more. He really wished he could just knock him over the edge of the cliff, but he doubted the others would take kindly to that.

“What do you want now?” he grumbled, turning back to the boy. “Are you going to follow me around again?”

Ventus blinked at him. “Again? Oh, you mean that first day.”

“Of course I do. I knew you were there the whole time, idiot. I’m not as stupid as you.”

“Hey, it’s not my rule,” he protested, rubbing the back of his head. “But anyway, I seriously wanted to talk to you.”

Vanitas narrowed his eyes. “Then make it quick. You’re annoying me.”

It was like Ventus hadn’t expected him to hear him out. He seemed apprehensive for a moment, but soon he began to speak.

“I’ve noticed you training with Aqua a lot lately.”

Hearing her name felt like being struck. Of course, it just had to come back to her.

“I thought it was weird, so I asked her about it,” Ventus continued. “She told me that she was helping you regain your strength or something.”

“So what?” he spoke. “Will you get to the point?”

His words seemed to bristle him, but he kept going. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but she seems to be putting in a lot of effort to help you. She even made you those clothes, didn’t she?”

Vanitas tugged on the lapel of his coat without thinking. Now, he was really starting to regret wearing it.

“Look,” he muttered. “I’ve told her again and again how stupid she’s being in trying to help me. I don’t know what she’s thinking either, so don’t ask me.”

He didn’t know how he would respond, but he hadn’t expected a glare like that. Ventus had never looked so stern, not even when they fought one another.

“Alright, but let me tell you something,” Ventus spoke, his voice as serious as it would allow. “For some reason, she really wants to try and help you. And if you turn around and throw that back in her face, then I won’t forgive you. You’ve done a lot of awful things, but I think that would be the worst of them all.”

Seeing his other half grow upset like that made something in Vanitas leap in delight.

“What’s this? Are you threatening me?” he taunted. “Didn’t think you had the guts. And besides, I think I’ve made myself very clear that I have no intention of going along with whatever she’s trying to do. Aqua’s the one dumb enough to help me, whatever happens will be on her.”

“Enough, Vanitas!” Ventus was yelling now, but it only amused Vanitas more. He tried, but it was like watching a toddler throw a tantrum. “We’ve already put everything behind us, why can’t you?”

That made him laugh. “Are you kidding? You all humiliated me. And believe me, as soon as I get my strength back, you’re all gonna pay.”

“You really are going to throw everything back in Aqua’s face?” Ventus yelled, pointing at him. “Look at those clothes! She made them for you!”

Vanitas glared at him. Whatever amusement he was getting from this was quickly fading. That idiot was starting to get on his last nerve.

“She did that herself. I didn’t ask her to.”

“But you’re wearing them. And I know you like them.”

He wanted to laugh again. “What? You’re delusional. I’m only wearing them because I got no other choice, since my dark suit is clearly not an option for you people.”

“I don’t buy that! If that’s true, then why were you so happy this morning?”

Now he really was talking nonsense. Vanitas blinked at him, wondering where that even came from.

“What are you talking about now? Were you following me again?”

He smiled. “Ah, so you admit it.”

“Like hell I do.”

Ventus opened his mouth to say something else, but then they heard the door to the castle start to open. Vanitas looked over and almost swore. Speak of the devil, Aqua herself appeared, holding something like a basket in her hands. Seeing her appear so suddenly made Vanitas feel almost self-conscious, like part of him was worried she had overheard.

He stopped himself at the thought. _Overheard what?_

Aqua stalled when she saw them standing in the courtyard. Vanitas hoped his eyes were deceiving him, but he could see a faint smile on her face even from where he stood. He would like to think it was because her idiot friend was there, but she wasn’t looking at Ventus. No, her gaze remained on Vanitas far longer than he would have liked, leaving part of him bewildered. It couldn’t have been him she was smiling at, but then he remembered what he was wearing, and the realisation was like a shock to his system. He tugged at the side of his coat again, really regretting the decision to wear it.

But then her smile faltered, probably as she read the mood around her.

“You guys aren’t fighting, are you?” she asked as descended the stairs. She stopped in front of the two of them, her eyes still hovering over Vanitas. His skin was starting to prickle.

“What?” he snapped at her on reflex.

“You’re wearing it.” That smile was on her face again, barely noticeable, but there. “Does it fit okay?”

Vanitas had to look away from her. The way she looked at him was starting to mess with his head. Like she hadn’t done enough of that in their training sessions already. It seemed that every session got harder and harder to get through without her pulling something like this.

“It’ll do,” he muttered, not really wanting Aqua to have to poke and prod him again. He wanted to forget that afternoon where she sat him down to take his measurements. That was a nightmare. He was pricked way more times than necessary, and he almost summoned his Keyblade one time when she got too close without him realising. Then she would tell him to stay still, and he’d have to listen or get pricked again. And she was so focused the entire time that nothing he said would even rile her up. He wanted to call the whole thing a waste of time, but he wasn’t exactly upset with the results. Not that he’d tell her that.

“I’m glad,” said Aqua, and while Vanitas heard her, he still wouldn’t look at her. She would definitely still have that stupid smile on her face. But it wasn’t long before something else grabbed his attention. That basket she was carrying. There was a mouth-watering smell coming from it.

“That smells really good,” Ventus spoke up, having noticed it too. “What is it?”

“Oh, I just thought I’d whip something up,” she said, removing the cloth from the basket. Vanitas looked back now and saw the treats she was carrying. The basket was piled high with muffins from the look of it, steam still rolling off them. As he gaped at them, Aqua held the basket out to Ventus, who grabbed one of the treats. Vanitas could practically feel the smile beaming off him, and while he tried to will himself to be annoyed, the smell of those muffins was making it hard to do so.

Just when he thought he finally got control of himself, Aqua offered the basket him. That action sent even more of that delicious smell catapulting in his direction. His stomach started to growl.

“Take one,” she said. “Relax, I haven’t poisoned them or anything.”

The quip was so unexpected it made Vanitas laugh, alleviating the tension. He pulled his eyes away from the basket to look up at her, grinning.

“I figured as much, or you wouldn’t have let Ventus go first.”

At that, she let out a laugh herself. Vanitas was caught off guard by it and had to look away again, but it did nothing to lessen the sound. He hadn’t heard her laugh very much, but every time she did, that noise would bounce around his head with him unable to escape it. If he had to describe it, he would say the sound was like the ringing of bells; airy and bright. Too bright. Her usual light shone with an intensity that made him antsy, but this felt different. It made something in his heart clench, like it sensed that light probing it somehow. He wouldn’t be surprised if that was her plan all along, to use her light to slowly burrow her way inside.

But none of that mattered right now; those muffins smelt too good. He grabbed a muffin from the basket, bringing it up to his mouth. When the treat reached his lips, he almost dropped his composure entirely. It was easily one of the most delicious things he’d ever tasted. Before he could stop himself, he shoved the entire muffin in his mouth, savouring as much of the flavour as he could. It was warm and sweet, with bits of some kind of fruit inside. He chewed a few times before swallowing, and his hand automatically reached for the basket again. He caught Aqua gaping at him, but it didn’t stop him.

“Well, I guess you liked it,” she said, taken aback. “I don’t even think I’ve seen Ven eat that fast.”

Vanitas was already biting into the second muffin, not even really listening to her anymore. He’d probably chastise himself later for this moment of weakness, but for now he couldn’t care less. After swallowing the last of the muffin, he wiped off the crumbs on his mouth with the side of his arm. With the treat gone, his senses started to return. He cautiously looked back up at Aqua, who still stared at him and seemed more surprised than anything.

“I was worried you’d choke for a moment there,” she spoke, nearly chuckling. “I can’t believe you liked them so much.”

The smile she wore was too bright. Too genuine. It was searing itself into his eyes, and he imagined he would still see it even if he closed them.

“They’re fine,” he got out, having to look away. “Make them sweeter next time.”

“Oh yeah, that reminds me,” Ventus spoke up, grabbing another muffin for himself. “Didn’t some of your Unversed used to drop ice cream ingredients?”

Vanitas snapped his head up to glare at him, but then Aqua clapped her hands together.

“That’s right!” she exclaimed. “I remember that. I always thought that was strange. They were always so well hidden too.”

“They’re based on your emotions, right?” Ventus continued, talking between bites. “I mean ‘ice-cream craving’ doesn’t sound like your typical emotion, but it’s one I’ve definitely felt before.”

This might have been the most ridiculous conversation they’ve had thus far.

“Don’t be stupid,” Vanitas balked. “They’re like all the others, based off my negative emotions.”

“Ah, so it’s more like that feeling when you want dessert but know you probably shouldn’t?”

Vanitas wanted to smack him, but then he heard Aqua start to laugh. It was that same sound as before, but knowing it was at his expense made more irritating to hear.

“Would you both shut up,” Vanitas snapped. “What, do you think this is funny?”

At that, Aqua stopped laughing, but she still wore a smile.

“Sorry, we’re not making fun of you. I promise.”

Vanitas didn’t want to believe her, but that smile was too genuine. She really needed to stop that.

“Good,” he muttered. “I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“Oh, hey,” she spoke up, as if thinking of something. “I’m always open to baking suggestions, you know. I’m just glad to have someone else here who enjoys sweets.”

“I said they were fine, don’t go getting a big head about it.”

He would have expected her to frown like before, but she shook her head instead.

“Sorry, but your actions speak louder than words in this case.” She was grinning at him, like she thought she won something. Somehow, that messed with him more than her more genuine smiles. “How about this,” she continued. “If your attitude keeps improving, there might be more muffins in your future.”

Vanitas raised an eyebrow. “Are you bribing me?”

“Oh, it’s working? And here I thought you said they were ‘just fine’.”

He clicked his tongue. He really needed to be more careful about what he said.

“Anyway, I’d better head off,” she told them. “It’s not fair if Terra misses out.”

“You know he’s weird about sweets, Aqua,” said Ventus.

“I know,” she said, pulling out something from the bottom of the basket, wrapped in paper. “That’s why I also made those bars he likes.”

“You’ll have to tell him he’s outnumbered again,” Ventus grinned, making Aqua laugh.

But a sort of fury began settling in Vanitas’ heart. He couldn’t believe she went out of her way to cater specifically for that idiot. What sort of moron didn’t like sweets? Especially ones that good. He shouldn’t get anything. Picturing that idiot rejecting any of those sweets left Vanitas with the sudden urge to kill him.

Vanitas clenched his fist and tried to calm himself. But as he was stewing, he caught Ventus looking at him strangely.

“Okay, I’ll see you later,” said Aqua, bringing Vanitas’ attention back to her. “I’ll be in the main hall later if you wanted to train, Vanitas.”

He scoffed. “Do what you like.” This conversation had really soured his mood. The lingering taste of the muffins turned bitter in his mouth.

Aqua’s smile faltered, like she finally caught on to his displeasure. But she said nothing else as she headed towards the mountain path. He should have been happy that she finally dropped that irritating smile, but it only annoyed him more. Despite what he was feeling, his eyes remained glued on her form until it disappeared down the path.

“So, um…” Ventus spoke up, almost startling him. That’s right, he was still here.

Vanitas snarled at him. “What is it now?” He really wasn’t in the mood to deal with this anymore. If Ventus had a shred of self-preservation, he should have sensed that.

“Hey, remember how I was gonna say something before?” he asked. “I think you’re fighting yourself too much.”

“Would you quit with the riddles and say what you mean?”

“I am,” he said, his hand coming up to rest on his chest. “Listen, I wasn’t really sure until now, but since you’ve been back, I think I’ve started to sense some of what you’re feeling.”

Vanitas froze, horror starting to creep in. “Don’t be stupid.”

That’s impossible. He shouldn’t be able to sense anything. He’s lying.

“It’s true!” Ventus went on. “Just now, I felt something again. Back when Aqua showed up with the muffins.”

“You’re not still going on about that, are you?” he yelled. “What, are you trying to get me to admit I liked them? Because that’s not happening.”

“It isn’t just that, Vanitas,” he insisted, still pushing on. “I don’t even have to sense anything; I saw how you were when she showed up. And then later on too.”

He was delusional. Either that, or he was trying to get under his skin. He hadn’t expected Ventus of all people to be so devious.

“What are you even talking about?”

“You were jealous before, weren’t you?” he said, looking at him all smug. “When she mentioned making something for Terra.”

Jealous? Of that numbskull? The thought was so ridiculous it should have made him laugh, but it only made him angrier.

“That is by far the dumbest thing you’ve ever said to me,” he sneered. “What, are you so bored you’ve started inventing things in your head?”

“Alright, don’t believe me,” Ventus continued. “But you don’t have to be so stubborn. If you’re happy whenever Aqua’s around-”

“Woah, where did that come from?” Vanitas blurted out, taking a step back. He couldn’t be that dense. “Look, even if you think you’re right about sensing my emotions, you’re definitely reading it wrong. And if you thought I seemed happier; you could explain it away with that slightly above average baking.”

“Wow,” he grinned, planting his hands behind his head. “You must have really liked them. You might as well have said they were the best thing you’ve ever eaten.”

Vanitas wanted to pull his hair out. “That’s it, I can’t stand to be around you any longer. Why don’t you tell your delusions to someone who cares!”

With that, Vanitas turned and stormed back towards the castle, ready to seal himself away somewhere where no one would bother him.

“Vanitas!” Ventus called out. “It’s okay to like things, you know!”

“Would you shut up already!” Before Ventus could get another word in, Vanitas disappeared into the castle, slamming the door shut behind him. For now, he was alone. Ventus would probably go after him, but for his sake, Vanitas hoped he had more brains than that. He didn’t want to waste any time, so he began heading for his room, his thoughts in a spiral.

What was that idiot even saying? Could he really sense his emotions now? Vanitas remembered long ago being able to sense what Ventus was feeling. It was a pain in the neck at times, but for some reason, since he’d been back he hadn’t been able to feel a thing coming from his other half. Even so, he never could have imagined the tables turning like this. If he was telling the truth, it was going to be a problem. But even if he was, there was no way that idiot was reading them correctly.

He said he was feeling jealous. Now, that was an emotion he was intimately familiar with, but never for such a stupid reason. And Ventus had accused him of being jealous all because Aqua had done something specifically for Terra. His mind drifted to Aqua giving those treats to him, smiling in that way that drove him insane, and he wanted to throw up.

Instead, he punched the wall beside him. The sting in his knuckles helped to ground him a little.

What even was that? Why did that thought make him feel like garbage? He must have gotten soft, that was the only explanation. He needed to rebuild his strength and fast, or else he’ll turn into a pile of goo who thinks only about friendship and other junk like that. And he knew better than anyone that there was more than enough of those in the worlds.

Clenching his fist, he tried to rein in his thoughts. Ventus was being stupid. There was another training session with Aqua that afternoon. He would go and prove he was wrong, that he couldn’t care less about Aqua or what she was trying to do. Vanitas would use her for all she’s worth before throwing her away, like he intended from the beginning. A new outfit and a few muffins wouldn’t change that.

He forced the image into his mind again. Him triumphing over them. Aqua at his feet. Him rising his Keyblade above her head. It wouldn’t take much for him to force it downwards, to finally finish what he started.

But his something in his mind stalled. He couldn’t help but think back to all the times they had been in that situation already, where she had been at his mercy, only for him to fail to deliver the final blow. It was far too many times more than he was comfortable with. Even their first training session, he could have finished the job then and there if desired it. All he had to do was summon his Keyblade again and she was done for. He touched her after all, and despite what she said, that meant she was open in that instance.

Maybe it’s because he wanted to fight her for real. Taking a cheap shot against her wouldn’t sit well with him. As long as she knew he always had that option, it was enough. But he wasn’t about to ruin it by being impatient. Fighting her had always been enjoyable to him, and though he even admitted as much to her, she seemed taken aback. Still, he felt it was obvious. She commanded such incredible grace and power; anyone would want her as an opponent. But that’s all she was. An opponent. A rival at best maybe. One day, he would defeat her, and he’d have to get over himself.

He nearly walked into his bedroom door, having arrived without knowing. If there was one thing he was grateful for, it was that he didn’t have to share a room with anyone while he was staying there. He was sure he would have murdered his unfortunate roommate by now, with or without his powers. Opening the door, he spotted the remains of the box on his bed, where he tossed it aside after pulling out the outfit. He stared at it, his thoughts returning to the idiotic things Ventus was spouting. Without thinking, he swept the box of the bed, throwing it across the room. It was only when it thudded to the ground that he noticed a piece of paper taped along the inside.

Curious, he went over to it and pulled it off the box. It was a small card, neat writing covering one side.

_I hope this is to your liking. I know things have been strange for you since returning, but I hope you can see we’re all trying to do what’s best for you. If you decide to wear this, at least I’ll know that you’ve taken another step. I’ll do what I can to help you readjust, so long as you try on your end as well._

_-Aqua_

Vanitas scrunched up the note. She couldn’t really be that stupid. As he tossed it over to the remains of the box, a horrifying thought came to him. Maybe that’s why she was so happy; she thought he’d turned over a new leaf by putting on her stupid outfit. But she must have known he had no other choice. He imagined what her face would have been like if he just showed up in his dark suit again, tears and all. If she was this earnest about the whole thing, that might have really offended her.

Even though he wanted to try that now, he wasn’t really in a rush to put the suit back on. He would have to repair it for starters, and he was enjoying the breeze on his arms for once. But he wasn’t about to tell her that. She had been way too happy when he just put it on, and the last thing he wanted was for her to smile like that again.

He threw himself onto the bed, groaning. It was like any time he thought he could relax, the thought of her came crawling into his head again. Ventus’ words swam around there too, making Vanitas want to slam his head against a wall.

He spent more time in his room than he realised, and before long it was late afternoon. Time to train. Time to show them how wrong they had been.

When he arrived at the main hall, he saw Aqua standing in the middle doing stretches, her body turned away from him. Her arms were raised above her head, pulling tightly to stretch her back out. He crept over, close enough to see the outline of her flexing shoulder blades, but then she spun around, dropping her hands entirely.

“Oh, you’re early. You startled me,” she said, raising her hand to her chest.

Vanitas watched as she got closer. She was doing a good job hiding it, but she seemed a little out of breath, like she’d already been training without him. He glared at her.

“I hope you’re not telling me to go.”

She shook her head. “No, that’s fine. It means we might get more practice in.”

He let out a short laugh. “You sure you wanna be giving me extra training?”

“Of course. The more practice you get, the better.”

“You mean the closer I get to destroying you all.”

She frowned. “Still talking about that? I thought we were finally starting to move past it.”

He summoned his Keyblade. “Well, you were wrong. Let’s go!”

After one last sad look, one that almost made his heart twinge against his will, she summoned her Keyblade.

“You still haven’t disarmed me yet. But who knows, you might have an easier time today.”

He charged at her, their blades clanging together.

“Easier? You’d better hope that’s not the case.”

But when he looked up to gauge her reaction, he caught her smiling.

“I knew it. You’re a lot faster today. You must be having a better time moving around.”

She was doing it again. He jumped away from her, far enough that he couldn’t see her face anymore.

“You know what,” he yelled out. “I’ll give you that. But don’t think I’m grateful or anything. I have no patience for idiots who handicap themselves by helping their opponents.”

“Handicap?” she asked, tilting her head. “If anything, I’m evening the playing field.”

He held out his weapon in front of him. “Well, if you think we’re so evenly matched, then come at me!”

She didn’t say anything in response. Instead, she charged for him, her blade shoving into his with him barely being able to hold her back. He pushed against her with all he could, but she kept holding strong. When he glanced at her face, he was at least thankful that she had a more serious expression this time. Her brows were furrowed, her lips pressed tightly together. He noticed how she started to bite her bottom lip, and part of him was happy at even that small sign of struggle.

But when he started to let out a laugh, her eyes snapped onto his. Bright blue bored into him, as deep as the ocean. He never had much reason to pay attention to them before, so he didn’t realise just how much those eyes could draw him in. Whatever remnants of his laugher died in his throat as he watched her blink, long eyelashes brushing against her cheek for the briefest moment. Her mouth was now parted, drawing his attention further down. But then something shifted in her eyes, bringing his focus back to them. She was staring at him with something like concern, her head tilting again.

“Is something wrong?”

Vanitas didn’t know how to respond to that, so he gave one last push before jumping away from her. His heart was pounding as he landed, even though they’d only just started training. While he tried to recover, she stood in the same spot, looking at him in confusion. One of her hands reached up to brush a strand of hair behind her ear, and Vanitas found himself following the movement against his will.

He sucked in a breath, forcing himself to look away. “It’s nothing,” he muttered.

“Are you sure?” she asked. “If something’s bothering you, you can tell me.”

“You know what’s bothering me?” he began, his irritation starting to boil over. “Everyone asking questions. First Ventus won’t leave me alone, and now you.”

He heard her step closer, but she stopped before she got anywhere near him.

“I know it’s hard,” she spoke. “But we’re all trying to help however we can.”

“Yeah, I read your stupid note.”

She sighed. “Well, at least you read it. I probably shouldn’t expect too much too soon.”

“Or at all,” he said, snapping his head towards her again. That was a mistake, she was still looking at him with those big blue eyes.

He couldn’t take it anymore. Dismissing his Keyblade, he turned for the exit.

“Vanitas?” he heard her call out. “Where are you going?”

“I don’t feel like training anymore.” That’s all he said before he reached the door, slamming it shut behind him. He briefly wondered if she would follow, but then he remembered he’s not supposed to care.

Never mind her, there was something wrong with _him_. Even after he left, he could still see her in front of him as they clashed. He could still see her biting her lip, her head tilting slightly towards him. Her bright blue eyes trained on his.

He rubbed his hand against his face as if trying to wipe away the memory seared into his brain. What even was that? His heart thudded again, even though he’d barely done anything strenuous.

Ventus’ words popped into his head once again, making his mood worse. He couldn’t believe he let that idiot get to him like this. But it made something else come to mind. A memory from long ago surfaced, one from back when he first lured Ventus out of this world. He recalled the boy feeling something for one of the girls he found on his journey, the one who had her heart stolen by Terra if he remembered correctly. He had even dropped in to see what the fuss was about, only to see a plain old narcoleptic princess. But Ventus had thought she was beautiful.

Vanitas now realised that was the true measure of his other half’s stupidity. He thought some random girl was pretty, when he had spent several years living with _her_.

He remembered when he met her officially back in Radiant Garden. It wasn’t the first time he had seen her, but it was the first time he could get close enough to really look at her. He remembered that fierce expression she wore as she gave him the challenge he craved, as her Keyblade met with his. To him, that was true beauty. The clashing of blades. The toying with each other. Opposing ideals being measured against one another.

But now when he thought back to those fights, he found himself focusing on the wrong things. Those cartwheels she used as she moved around the battlefield. The way her breath laboured when he pushed her to the brink. The way her eyes burned when she stared him down.

He shook his head, trying to rationalise things. She was the only worthy opponent for him, so of course he’d develop a sort of respect, even though he hated the idea. But it was still better than the alternative.

Ventus flashed through his mind again. He was wrong about everything. Especially now. He was only ‘happy’ when Aqua was around when they fought, and that was still in the loosest sense of the word. But on the other hand, he could at least admit he wasn’t as blind as Ventus was. Out of all the people he had met, she was probably the one he could stand being around the most. Not that it was saying much. And even if he disregarded the combat, he could at least admit she was fairly easy on the eyes. It might have been one of her deadlier powers, seeing as even Vanitas was losing focus because of it.

Yes, that’s what she was doing. She was trying to throw him off his goal with those eyes, those legs…

He groaned. His mind was screaming at him and he couldn’t take it anymore. It gave him one last image of Aqua before his willpower began to crumble. He had to admit that much at least, or his mind would probably tear itself apart.

She was without a doubt the most beautiful person he had ever seen. No one, not any princess, could even compare.

The thought left him feeling disgusted with himself, but his mind wouldn’t stop wandering. He supposed it was only natural that spending time with a woman like that would leave him thinking this way, but he couldn’t imagine why Ventus never picked up the same view of her.

Maybe because he had never been on the end of her blade in a serious fight. That’s all. Vanitas was just mixing his desire to fight her with his desire to…

His mind stopped short. There was one negative emotion he hadn’t felt very often, but he knew exactly what it was. It was oddly calming, knowing he could chalk up this whole fiasco to his very nature. He let his mind wander to test the waters, picturing Aqua in front of him again. She was on her knees, out of breath, but he yanked himself out of that thought before it could go much farther. His heart throbbed, and he briefly wondered what sort of Unversed would pop out if he let it. It was a strange feeling, having lust towards a person instead of power, and he didn’t really know what to do with it.

But that’s all it was. He wanted to clash with her, wring her dry until she was no longer useful to him. Maybe he even wanted to use her in some other way. But he didn’t picture her being upset at that. Instead, what came to mind was an image of that smile.

It was a problem. He needed to get over it quickly, or his true desires would never be fulfilled. Without wasting any time, he entered his room, and locked the door behind him. He needed to sort out his mind before interacting with anyone again.

His brooding was interrupted a few hours later by a knock at the door. The sun had long since set, leaving Vanitas tempted to ignore whoever it was. But the knocking continued, not letting up in the slightest. Groaning, he got off the bed and threw the door open, ready to shout at whoever it was.

But he was caught off guard. As if the day couldn’t get any stranger, Terra of all people stood there. Vanitas snarled at him.

“What do _you_ want?”

Terra at least seemed to sense his hostility, even though he didn’t seem too bothered by it. His arms were crossed as he stared down at Vanitas, his expression not even faltering.

“Aqua’s calling all of us to a meeting, you included.”

His glared at the brute. “So why are you here?”

“Aqua would have come herself, but she seems to think she’s offended you for some reason,” Terra said, raising an eyebrow. “I don’t suppose anything happened in training today that might make her think that?”

Vanitas clenched his fist, before pushing past him. He moved quite easily despite his size and stature, making Vanitas think he hadn’t even tried to stop him.

“Well?” he asked again as Vanitas reached the hallway. He stopped in his tracks, suddenly tempted to slash Terra across his dumb face.

“None of your business!” he yelled out instead, before continuing onwards. “And if you ask again, you might not live long enough to make it to the meeting.”

Just when he thought he’d escaped, Terra called out to him.

“They’re in the main hall.”

Nothing? The idiot hadn’t responded to the threat at all. It was like everything he did only made Vanitas despise him more.

“Would you shut up! I know where they are!”

Vanitas didn’t even care what the meeting would be about, he just wanted to get it over with. Leaving Terra in the dust, he sprinted for the main hall, before pushing the door open. Aqua and Ventus were already there, talking with each other. Seeing Aqua again brought all his earlier thoughts back, and he did all he could to crush them before they fully formed. Both she and Ventus looked up at him as he arrived, but he wouldn’t meet either of them in the eye. He could only imagine whatever smug look his other half wore.

“I’m glad you made it,” he heard Aqua say. “I wanted the four of us to discuss something.”

“The four of us?” Vanitas scoffed. “Don’t make it sound like we’re a team.”

Aqua didn’t reply to that. Before anything else could be said, Terra entered the room behind him. Funnily enough, he was the one person Vanitas could stand to look at right then. Even if the idiot wasn’t threatened by him, at least Vanitas could count on not getting smiled at. He even caught the way he glared at him now, making him wonder if he’d overheard what he’d said.

“Alright,” Aqua spoke up, trying to continue. “Now that we’re all here, let’s get started.”

Vanitas heard her pull something out, and when he cautiously looked over, he saw her holding one of those Gummi Phones. He didn’t really understand the purpose of those things. Until now, he had dark portals in the rare instance he ever wanted to see someone. Now they only seemed even more pointless.

“I’ve been sending information about that Heartless to those over in Radiant Garden,” she said, pressing a few buttons. The way she held it made Vanitas think she wasn’t used to it either. “There’s still a lot we don’t know, but hopefully they can piece things together, so we can determine how to beat it.”

That was something Vanitas didn’t expect at all.

“Are you serious?” he blurted out “You want to go back?”

Aqua turned to look at him, and that was his cue to look away. She wouldn’t catch him off guard like that again.

“As I said before,” she continued. He heard her putting the device away. “We’ve barely even scratched the surface. The truth is, no one is any closer to locating Sora, and I can’t stand the thought of standing around doing nothing when he could still be out there.”

“So you think those guys can work out a plan?” asked Terra. “That’s great, but what do we do in the meantime.”

“I think it would help if we go there in person and tell them what we saw. And who knows, there may be some other way we can be of assistance while we’re over there.”

“I wouldn’t mind going,” spoke up Ventus, sounding way too cheerful. “I’d love to see those guys again.”

“Guys, we’re forgetting something,” said Terra. He didn’t even need to specify; they all knew what he meant. Vanitas could practically feel them all turning to stare at him again.

“I didn’t forget,” said Aqua. “I told Master Yen Sid I’d keep him in this world until he shows signs of improving.”

“Hey, why don’t you start talking like I’m right in front of you?” Vanitas growled at them. Having them talk like he wasn’t there was getting on his nerves.

But then she spoke again. “Sorry,” was all she said. The guilt in her tone shook something inside him, making part of him want to scream at her.

_What’s wrong with you? Why are you sorry for me?_

“But it’s a problem,” Terra continued, glaring at him in warning. “We can’t take you out of this world with you still acting hostile. So, one of us will go while the others stay behind to watch you.”

“No,” Aqua spoke up, shaking her head. “You and Ven should go. I’ll stay here with him.”

Vanitas thought he had misheard, but he wasn’t the only one. Everyone shouted, all taken aback by what she said. But it reminded him of something. Back in the Realm of Darkness. Something similar had happened there. It only convinced him completely that she didn’t remember a single thing. Vanitas felt his blood start to boil.

“Wait, Aqua,” Terra said, the first person to speak. “You shouldn’t be alone with him.”

“I’ll be fine, Terra. He hasn’t hurt me yet.”

“Would you cut that out!”

His yell took everyone by surprise. They all spun around to stare at him, but it wasn’t even close to a concern to him in moment. Now he was really pissed off.

“Vanitas?” Aqua began, her eyes wide. “Wha-”

“I’ve had enough of you all talking around me! You’re all acting like I’m some stray mutt you picked up off the side of the road! I’m not some pet! I almost destroyed all of you! Why won’t you act like it?”

“Vanitas-”

“And _you_!” he shouted, spinning towards Aqua. She looked so guilty in that moment, but he was too upset to care. “What the hell is wrong with you? You’re the worst of them all! Why did you even bring me back if it was gonna inconvenience you so much? I didn’t ask to be your ball and chain!”

Aqua turned away. Now she was the one who wouldn’t look at him.

“You miserable piece of garbage!” Terra shouted. Seems like it was his turn to yell. He yanked on Vanitas’ shoulder, pulling him away from the group. “In case you forgot, she saved your life!”

Vanitas jerked himself away, before shooting a look of pure venom at Terra.

“Shut up! She doesn’t need you to defend her!”

She didn’t need that, especially from him. Was Vanitas the only one who saw that?

“Enough already!” Ventus yelled, doing his best to jump between them. “We’re not here to fight! We’re here to talk about what we’ll do next!”

“Well, I’m sure you three idiots have got that covered!” Vanitas shouted, sprinting for the exit. “I’m going! And anyone who comes after me gets a fireball to the face!”

“Vanitas!” Ventus yelled out, but there was no point. Vanitas had run to the side door, slamming it shut behind him as hard as he could.

He needed to blow off steam after that disaster. They bothered to call him to a meeting and then had the nerve to talk like he wasn’t even there. And then there was Aqua.

Now he knew he was being ridiculous earlier. Hearing her talk like that irritated him more than anything else. It was to the point that he couldn’t take it anymore. And she had the nerve to look so guilty.

He didn’t feel like returning to his room, dreading one of them coming after him. But if he wanted to go outside, he’d have to pass through the main hall again, and that was out of the question. So, he wound up in the first room that was open, some random unused space, hoping no one would try looking for him there. He didn’t bother locking the door, a pointless endeavour in a castle full of Keyblade wielders. Instead, he sat on a chair facing the door and pointed his weapon outwards. If one came, he was ready. His heart still bubbled with rage. He’d show them how dangerous he really was. He’d show her.

When he heard someone at the door, he didn’t even think. He jumped upright and launched a ball of flame right at the door as it opened. There was the sound of someone summoning their own Keyblade, but nothing could be seen through the smoke.

“I warned you, didn’t I?” he yelled out, readying another fireball. “You only have yourself to blame!”

“ _Freeze_.”

That voice spoke calmly, a contrast to the sudden wave of frost that crossed the room, rushing in his direction. Before he could move out of the way, a block of ice encased him almost entirely, leaving only his head free. He tried desperately to wrench himself free, but the ice was far too solid. He ground his teeth together, part of him hoping the sheer force of his rage would be enough to melt his icy prison. Giving up for now, he glared at the doorway as the smoke and frost cleared. Aqua herself was standing there, completely unscathed.

“You’re right, you did warn me,” she spoke, stepping into the room. She still had the nerve to look at him so sadly. “Which is why I won’t count this as an act of aggression.”

He let out a laugh. It was all he could do.

“There you go with that again,” he taunted. “Doesn’t deluding yourself like that get old?”

“You’re the one deluding yourself.” She stood in right in front of him, but he did all he could not to look at her. He wasn’t interested in whatever pitiful face she wore.

“Me? I’m the only one with a lick of sense around here.” He tried pulling at his arms again, but they were still as trapped as the rest of him. “Now, do you mind unfreezing me before I really start to get mad?”

“Will you attack me again?”

“No promises.”

“Then the ice stays.”

He gritted his teeth. “Come on, I know you think you can take me all by yourself. Why else would you volunteer to stay behind while everyone else goes off to Radiant Garden?”

She didn’t say anything for a while, so that prompted Vanitas to look at her. He grimaced seeing her expression hadn’t changed.

“Listen,” she began. “I worry I might have been too pushy with everything. You only just came back, so I understand you not being on board with everything right away. I think it was a mistake to force you into all this.”

He glared at her. She couldn’t be saying what he thought she was.

“What, so you finally admit bringing me back was a mistake?”

To his surprise, she shook her head. “No, I don’t think that. I believe it was fate that we found you in the Realm of Darkness. There must have been a reason you survived long enough for us to bring you back.”

“So what? Are you telling me you believe in fate?”

“Yes,” she said without hesitating. “I believe there’s a chance that you might be the key to finding Sora somehow. I mean, when we were off searching for him, we found you instead. That has to mean something.”

“Don’t be stupid. It had nothing to do with him. Now,” His teeth were chattering, but he mustered a death glare towards Aqua. “ _Unfreeze me_.”

She stared at him for a moment before shutting her eyes. Vanitas was about to ask what she was doing, but then she complied. He felt the ice dissolve away from him, with warmth returning to his body in its stead. Aqua must have been casting a fire spell of her own to speed up the process.

Soon enough, he was free. He flexed his hands, easing the aches from his limbs. Aqua was watching him the whole time, he knew that.

“We still have to go to Radiant Garden,” she continued. “And at least one of us needs to stay behind with you. If you like, I’ll let you pick who it is. I shouldn’t have volunteered myself like that.”

He wanted to laugh at her, but he had another idea. After testing his grip once more, he spun towards Aqua, and grabbed one of her straps in his fist. He pulled at it, trying to bring her down to his level. If this didn’t show her, what will? One of her hands rose up to meet his in response, which only encouraged him.

“What’s wrong?” he spoke, forcing a sinister grin to his face. “Regretting your choices already?”

She froze up, but didn’t react in any other way. Just as Vanitas went to taunt her again, her hand started to tug at his. Looking at her face, he was annoyed to see her expression hadn’t changed much. He wanted her to get angry, fight him off, react in some way other than sadness. But that’s all she would give him. She didn’t even seem surprised.

Her hand was still over his, and he could feel her still pulling at it. But it wasn’t the only thing pulling at him. Her eyes pierced into his again, and he was suddenly thrown back to their earlier training session. When had he gotten so close to her? He tore his eyes from hers, but that only led them to her lips. Watching them made some unknown urge begin to surface, but he yanked himself away from her before it could be realised.

“Vanitas?” Even she seemed confused. He pulled himself far enough away that he felt he was no longer surrounded by her presence.

“Do what you want?” he told her, refusing to look at her again. “I don’t care if you go or not.”

She didn’t say anything for a moment, and Vanitas was glad. He wished she could forget what just happened. The instant he tried to intimidate her, he almost lost control of himself again. Right now, he had to do what he could to keep himself calm. She couldn’t know about his inner turmoil.

But he couldn’t help himself. He turned back to her and did his best to study her expression. Part of him was relieved when he saw she wasn’t looking at him, as he was sure that would make him chicken out again. If he could give a name to the face she wore, he would say it was conflicted. Getting any sort of reaction aside from sadness should have been satisfying, but it hadn’t felt that way at all. Her hand was over her chest, near where he grabbed her, and she looked as if she were deep in thought. But her expression betrayed nothing else. She was far too stoic. He would have loved to know what she was thinking, but part of him was too scared of ever finding out.

Soon, the inevitable happened and she glanced over, catching his eyes once more. When he saw her eyes widen just slightly when she caught him staring, he felt something like a lump form in his throat. It brought an aching in his chest along with it, his mouth suddenly going dry. Swallowing did nothing to alleviate it. It really was a curse.

He scoffed, before looking away again. But even that didn’t help. Her presence, her light, was all around him.

“Vanitas.” Her voice rang through his head. He wished she would stop.

“What?” he groaned, not able to get out much else. He could only hope she hadn’t picked up on how weak he felt.

“I do get it, you know,” she spoke, sounding strangely melancholic. “If you’d rather not have me stay behind, I understand.”

He spun around. Now it was his turn to be confused. Part of him wondered why she would even think that, but then he remembered how he yelled at her earlier. She might have even taken what happened before as the threat it was supposed to be. That should have pleased him, but he could hardly believe she let it get to her this much.

“Are you talking about before?” he asked. “Do you wanna know why I was mad at you? It’s like what you said before. You’re being too pushy.”

“I know.”

He grimaced at the sudden admission. She wasn’t even fighting it.

“And you seem to keep forgetting exactly who you’re dealing with,” he continued, trying not to let it get to him. “I don’t care that I’m weaker now, you’ve been acting like nothing I did matters anymore.”

“Because it doesn’t,” she said, with such conviction that he almost bought it. “If I believe that you’ll never change your ways, then that’s exactly what will happen.”

“But why do you care?” he snapped at her. “At least I’d get if Ventus wanted to get along with his other half, but what does any of this have to do with you?”

She stalled at that, like she didn’t have an answer. Vanitas glared at her.

“I’m not some stray for you to take care of,” he continued. “I’m a being of darkness. Stop acting like you can corrupt me with your light.”

“Corrupt you?” she asked. She acted confused by that, but he knew better.

“I know what you’ve been doing,” he went on. “The training, these clothes, those sweets, all you’ve been doing is trying to worm your way into my heart. But it’s not gonna work.”

She blinked at him, like she was trying to process what he was saying. But he wouldn’t fall for it. She must have thought she was so clever, but he was on to her. There was no way she’d keep getting the better of him like this.

“You’re acting like I’ve been doing something nefarious,” she spoke, her hand rising to her chest again. “Vanitas, all I’ve been doing is showing you kindness. That’s how beings of light are. I know that must be strange to you, but you’re gonna have to used to it.”

“Don’t give me that,” he nearly spat. “You’re trying to weaken my resolve. You’re doing it right now.”

“I’m not doing anything.”

But she was. She was staring at him with those eyes again. With that face.

“Deny it all you want, at least I know the truth.”

His words seemed to finally get through to her. He could see the cracks starting to form in her expression. It was like he was finally succeeding in something.

“Well,” she spoke, her voice gaining a bitter edge. “Since you clearly don’t want me around, I’ll go to Radiant Garden. Terra and Ven can watch over you.”

“Wait.”

The word slipped out of his mouth, and it was far too late for him to do anything about it. She glared at him, and while part of him was happy at that, the other part wanted him to disappear into the void. But then her eyes narrowed, and she finally looked like she was starting to get angry. He would have called it a victory if it wasn’t by complete accident.

“What is it now?” she groaned. “Do you want me gone or not?”

“I never said that!” he yelled out. “Don’t you remember? I need to fight you so I can learn how to defeat you. How can I do that if you’re on another world?”

“So what? You plan to just fight me forever?” she spoke. Her eyes burned, teetering on the brink of rage. “That doesn’t work for me.”

“I don’t care what works for you! I intend to get all I can out of you before destroying you and everything you are!”

“But what happens after that, Vanitas? Even if you succeed, you know they’ll go after you. Do you have a plan?”

“Don’t need one,” he sneered. “Taking you out will be the last thing I do.”

Her anger evaporated, replaced by the sadness she wore earlier. That face was like a gut punch, far worse than anything she pulled before. Just when she finally reacted in a way that made sense, it was all gone.

“You’d die over this?” she asked him, her voice quieter than he would have liked. “Are you really that stubborn? How can I get you to see that you have other options now?”

“I don’t want them,” he insisted. “Nothing matters to me aside from besting you.”

“Why?”

That one-word question threw him off guard. His mind stalled.

“…I told you,” he got out. “You’re one of the best opponents I faced.”

“So, what exactly do you want from me? You want me to train you, just so you can kill me in the end? Do you really think I’ll let that happen?”

Those bright blue eyes were locked on his again, and he could feel himself getting sucked in. He rubbed at his forehead. She needed to stop that; it was making it hard to think.

Of course he knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it had to be done. But what she said before; was that all he wanted from her? To kill her? The thought now made a part of him hesitate, as unthinkable as that was.

Because death would be final. They would never clash blades again. They would never speak again. He wouldn’t get to taunt her or see any of those faces again.

But it needed to happen in the end, or else he’d have to accept her trying to corrupt him. He couldn’t let her do that. Not after everything. Even though he knew that much, his own mind wasn’t helping things.

He looked over at her again, willing himself to view her in contempt. That part should have been easy. It was like every little thing she did was coordinated to test his resolve. It had to be on purpose. Defeating him the normal way probably wasn’t satisfying to her anymore, so she resorted to psychological warfare. Making him want things he shouldn’t.

Even though she was doing all that to him, the thought of her lying dead by his hand no longer brought the joy it once did.

“Vanitas,” she spoke again. “What do you want from me?”

It was like she was reading his mind. He pulled himself away from her gaze, no longer able to fully trust himself. Leaving her standing there, he headed for the door.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” he muttered.

He would like to know himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so that's the chapter. I'll try to post updates on my tumblr as well if anyone's interested. http://otakuaster.tumblr.com/
> 
> Thanks again!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the month long delay but I got an extra chunky chapter for you all to make up for it.
> 
> Couple things first, nekokat42 has made another fan art, this time of Vanitas’ new outfit along with a few other moments. https://baby-xemnas.tumblr.com/post/639565578886103040/chapter-3-doodles-otakuaster
> 
> Also this chapter has a bit more angst this time, so just a heads up, there will be mention of abuse right near the end. Nothing too major but it’s there.
> 
> So with that out of the way, I hope you enjoy!

Vanitas didn’t even bother going to see them off. There was no point to it. He was sure if he showed up, those two idiots would only want to lecture him. They may have even tried to threaten him, saying that Aqua better be in one piece when they returned or else. Normally, the idea that they still saw him as dangerous would have brought him joy, but just that possibility wasn’t enough to make him tolerate listening to them any longer than needed.

They were such morons.

Of course, the biggest moron of all was Aqua herself. Insisting they go off without her.

She came by his room not long after they left, only she never entered. After knocking once, she told him they were gone, turned around on her heels, and that was that. Vanitas tossed a cushion at the door in response, pleased at the thudding sound it made. She was such an idiot. If she was so determined to avoid him, she should have been the one to go instead. Only he had accidentally done his best to talk her out of it.

After tossing everything within reach to try and alleviate some of his tension, he laid in bed and stared up at the ceiling. It was weird having the castle so quiet. He did his best to avoid people most days, but there would always be some kind of noise, usually Ventus’ voice, drifting in his direction like an unwelcome smell. With how often the idiot followed him, at times it felt like having a second, more annoying shadow. Needless to say, he was enjoying the peace. At least for the first hour or so. Now, he was unspeakably bored.

There was always Aqua he could go bother, but at the thought of approaching her, all he could remember was what happened in that room. That horrendous encounter. Ever since, Aqua had barely said a word to him, or even looked at him. If only he had watched what he said, if only he had controlled himself for two seconds, then he wouldn’t be in the middle of this mess.

But if neither of them would even talk to each other, Vanitas would probably die of boredom long before he could even think of reaching his goal. Maybe even long before Terra and Ventus returned. And after everything he had already been through, it seemed like a terrible way to go out. The problem was if he and Aqua were going to interact again, one of them would have to take the first step, and there’s no way he was going to be the one to do that.

He groaned, rolling over in his bed. Night had only just fallen, but he was desperate for sleep to claim him. Then he wouldn’t have to think, at least for a little while. But lying down in the dead silence only made things worse. His mind ran at full force, taunting him for his weakness. Mocking him for his mistakes. He couldn’t get a break.

Unable to take it anymore, he jumped out of bed and stormed out of the room, barely remembering to shut the door behind him. Wandering the grounds and getting some fresh air was as good idea as any, and he was far less likely to run into any idiots tonight. Ventus always seemed to know when he had trouble sleeping and had an awful habit of following him whenever he left his room. He hated whenever he did that for obvious reasons, but the worst part was that it gave more credit to his claim that he could sense what Vanitas was feeling. But now he was worlds away, and that wouldn’t be a problem anymore. At least for a little while.

Still, he had to remember he wasn’t entirely alone in the castle. When Vanitas reached the door to the main hall, he took a moment to press his ear to the door. He doubted she would be training this late, but he could never be too careful. Confronting Aqua wasn’t something he wanted to deal with right now. After confirming there was nothing but silence on the other end, he entered the room, and soon he was pushing open the doors to the courtyard. The night air slammed into him, chillier than usual, but it didn’t bother Vanitas. He even hoped the cold would help keep his mind off things.

After walking over to the side, he pulled his legs over the wall and sat himself along the edge. The valley below him was dimmed by the night, making it seem far vaster than it was. And emptier. Even in broad daylight, it held nothing of interest, like everything else in that world. It wasn’t alleviating his boredom in any way, so it wasn’t long before Vanitas turned his gaze upwards, the glow of starlight far more captivating. He knew that was something he had in common with those three morons, even if the thought annoyed him. Back when he lived in the Badlands, sometimes the only entertainment he had was the vast sky above him, and the millions of lights it contained. He always got a shred of joy whenever one fell, and he’d spend the rest of the night picturing the world it belonged to dropping out of existence.

But then Xehanort caught him one time, yelled something about pointless distractions, and he was no longer allowed even that simple pleasure. He probably thought stargazing was too normal an activity for an abomination like him. Vanitas had even agreed and returned to using his Unversed to pass the time. Even the pain was more entertaining than nothing. But that no longer mattered; the old man was gone for good. Now, he could stare up at the stars as long as he wanted. He could watch as the worlds fell one by one if he desired. Not that it was likely to happen anytime soon. There were too many Keyblade wielders these days, so he was sure any attempt at world destruction would be foiled before it could even start. Especially if someone like Aqua was the one leading the charge.

He took in a breath, allowing the cold air filling his lungs to shock him to his senses. There he went again. Was there really no escape? She lingered in his head completely against his will, and so far, he hadn’t found a way to be rid of her. At this point, he was sure even killing her would just make it worse. For all the talk he did, he was terrified that if it ever came to that, her presence would just remain in his mind permanently, with no hope of being rid of it. Doubts circled around his head, and he was even starting to wonder if he could go through with it at all. The more time he spent here in this world, that final battle got harder to imagine. If he didn’t figure out a solution and fast, living here was going to be hell. All he had to do was find a way to get her out of his head.

The solution was easy. All he had to do was not think about her. She was nothing.

But that wasn’t true and he knew it. He even told her as much. Told her that she became his purpose.

Groaning, he swung his legs back over the edge. Even stargazing wasn’t working as a distraction. He would need to find something else to do that would actually keep him busy.

But as his feet touched the ground, he noticed something standing near the courtyard entrance. It ducked away as soon as he turned his head, but it was definitely there. Watching him. After casting a wary gaze towards it, Vanitas strolled to the centre, now trying to pretend he didn’t see it. Just so he could get in a better position. Waiting long enough to ensure its guard was lowered, he summoned his Keyblade and pointed it towards the creature’s hiding spot.

“Alright, who are you?” he called out. “I know you’re there.”

The creature in question yelped, before stumbling out from behind the pillar. Vanitas’ grip faltered at seeing the creature, and how strange it looked. It wasn’t anything resembling a Heartless, Unversed, or even a normal animal. The thing was small, grey, and awfully round looking. It wore a tiny cape of all things, along with a pouch worn across its chest. Vanitas’ remembered his initial comparison to a stuffed toy, and it wasn’t far off. But then he watched the toy picked itself off the ground and brush the dirt off itself. It looked up at Vanitas with stitched eyes. And then it started to speak.

“You… you’re Ventus’ darkness, aren’t you?”

That was the last thing he expected to hear. Vanitas watched the creature, trying to hide how much it had unnerved him. It wasn’t just what it said that disturbed him, it was the fact that it could talk at all.

“And?” Vanitas got out. “What are you supposed to be?”

The creature bounced forward. Its eyes could move, but the rest of his face remained immobile, making it hard to discern its expression.

“My name is Chirithy,” it spoke. “I’m friends with Ventus.”

Vanitas scoffed. “Of course you are. Feels like everyone’s friends with that idiot.”

That thing, Chirithy, tilted its head to the side, as if in confusion. He glared at it, still holding his weapon. What had it expected him to say?

“Yeah, but…” it continued. “You’re part of him, aren’t you?”

This wasn’t something he wanted to hear right now. Vanitas clenched his teeth.

“So what?” he snarled, taking a step towards it. “What exactly do you want?”

Chirithy jumped back, letting out a small cry as it did. If it hadn’t agitated him so much, he may have almost felt sorry for it. It was such a skittish, pathetic creature after all, but it had no right to be saying things like that to him.

“I, um…” it stuttered, looking as if it was summoning its courage. “V-Ventus told me about you. He asked me to keep an eye on you while he’s gone, make sure you don’t do anything too reckless.”

Vanitas stared at the Chirithy for the longest time. It took a while for him to process exactly what it said. He dismissed his Keyblade. And then he started to laugh. It started off small, but it wasn’t long before he was collapsing over from the force of it, unable to contain himself.

“Are you… serious?” he got out between laughs. “Ventus sent _you_ to watch over me?”

The Chirithy narrowed its eyes and huffed in anger. Such a pathetic display of rage made Vanitas want to laugh harder.

“Yes, he did,” it said.

“You realise I could just drop kick you off the side of the mountain, right?”

It let out a yelp and ran back behind the pillar. Despite doing its best to hide itself, Vanitas could still see it shaking. He let the last of his laughter die and stepped towards the creature, almost in threat. But to his shock, it stood its ground.

“That’s… not all it is!” the creature spoke while cowering. “I also needed watch you to make sure of something.”

“And what would that be?” he taunted, stopping in front of it. “I hope your spying has been worth it.”

It was still shaking, but it met his glare head on as it spoke.

“I have to know if you remember me at all.”

That made Vanitas stall. “Remember you? I remember you snooping around the first day I got here.”

It shook its head. “No, I mean before that. Way before.”

Vanitas stared at it, but he wasn’t able to answer. The only time he remembered seeing it was when he was on the mountain, and he was sure he would recall a seeing a creature that strange before then. But he knew it was referring to a time well before that, and that was what left him in a predicament. His memories didn’t go back very far at all.

“Before?” he asked the creature. “You’re out of luck. I can’t remember a thing before being split from that idiot.”

Chirithy looked up. “Really? That’s good.”

“Huh? Good?”

Its hands rose up to its mouth. “That’s not what I meant,” it spoke.

Vanitas stared it down. He was getting really tired of how cryptic it was being. “Then what exactly did you mean? How about you start telling me how you know Ventus.”

As he reached down to grab the creature, it did a flip in the air before disappearing in a puff of smoke. He stared at the empty space for a moment, still processing that strange encounter.

What was that even about? He would definitely interrogate Ventus about this when he got back, without question. Just in case the thing was still around, he searched all over the courtyard, peering behind everything he could think of. He even ran part way down the mountain to check the training grounds, but it was no use. The creature was gone without a trace.

And it knew who he was. Just a splintered piece of Ventus. As Vanitas stared out over the valley, his hand rose to his chest. His own heart was beating there. But the darkness that filled it, that made up his being, used to belong to Ventus. It really didn’t belong to him, but that feeling of emptiness it left behind was all his.

Vanitas once thought his only hope was joining with his other half once again. Becoming a weapon of legend. There was one point he almost succeeded, but he soon realised it wasn’t the salvation he had hoped for. After all, wasn’t the pain was supposed to stop when they were whole again? Even now, he was all too familiar with the feeling of pain. It had lessened greatly since he stopped summoning Unversed, but he could still feel the agony of his fractured heart. After everything he had been through, he was still broken. He wondered if Ventus could tell that much, if it was true that he could sense his emotions.

What he needed now more than anything was a purpose. And he had one. There was no point trying to fix his broken heart.

After one last glance at the stars, Vanitas turned and headed back towards the castle. He hated how a creature so pathetic looking had managed to shake him up so much. And all it did was state the facts.

_You’re Ventus’ darkness…_

He knew that very well. He didn’t need to be reminded. Whatever that creature was, however it knew Ventus, none of that really mattered. But he hated how it seemed to know something he didn’t.

Before long, he reached the hall leading to his bedroom. He doubted sleep would come to him after all that, but he had to try. There was nothing else that could be done. But just as he reached his door, he heard a strange noise coming from one of the other rooms. He paused in place, straining his ears to try and determine what the sound was.

It sounded like… crying?

Vanitas followed the sound cautiously. There weren’t many places it could be coming from, one place in particular truly unthinkable. But as unbelievable as it was, that sound had carried him towards a certain door.

This was Aqua’s room. He’d never been in there himself, but he’d seen her disappear into it enough times to know. He pressed his ear to the door and heard the muffled sobs coming from within, confirming his suspicions.

He pulled back from the door, weighing up what to do. If he wanted to keep avoiding her, the smart thing would be to just ignore it and go on his way. But he was dying to know why she was making a sound like that. It was so unlike anything he would have expected from her. That despair. His hand moved on his own towards the doorknob, turning it without issue. The door opened, the sound pouring out into the hall with clarity.

It was worse than he thought. Such sorrowful cries reached his ears, ones that could have made him forget who was in the room. Vanitas opened the door further, far enough so he could peer inside. The room was pitch black with the only light coming from gaps in the curtain. Even so, he could make out the larger items of furniture, including the bed in the centre of the room. Sitting in the middle of it was a hunched over form drenched in shadow, shaking from the sobs that left it.

But when he pulled himself into the room, those sobs stopped abruptly. The figure summoned a Keyblade and was pointing it at him before he could react. The tip glowed with a light so bright it made Vanitas squint from the sudden exposure. But the figure hadn’t made any other moves.

“What are you doing here?”

That was definitely her voice, but he had never heard it sound so wrecked. It had taken a moment for his eyes to adjust to the light, but now he was able to get a clear look at Aqua’s face. Her eyes were wide open, the outside of them puffy and red. Wet tear marks streaked down her cheeks, gluing some of her hair to her face in chunky strands.

All Vanitas could do was stare at her. He had never seen her like this. He wouldn’t have even thought it was possible.

“…I heard you,” he murmured, not sure what else to say.

“Oh.” Her voice was quiet. Defeated. She wiped at her eyes with her free hand, as if she was trying to erase what he’d already seen. “Sorry,” she spoke. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

This wasn’t right. Why did she look so broken?

“What’s wrong with you?”

The question came out on its own. Vanitas wasn’t even upset with himself this time; he genuinely wanted to know. Aqua looked up at him in surprise, before turning her head away as if ashamed.

“It’s nothing. You should go back to sleep.”

“…No.”

Aqua snapped back to him in shock. “What?” she gasped out. That expression she wore was still so helpless. Some part of Vanitas despised seeing it.

“No,” he repeated. “Not until you tell me why you’re acting like this. Do you know how hard I’ve tried to get you to crumble, and here you are without me having to do a thing.”

That wasn’t entirely true. Even when he had imagined her defeat, she was always still proud, even as she lay at his feet. If he pictured her crying, it would have been angry tears, or nothing at all. But this kind of emotion was different. Those tears she cried were filled with misery. He honestly didn’t think she was capable of this sort of despair.

She was still glaring at him, the grip on her Keyblade never faltering. The tears seemed to have dried a bit, and her determination in her eyes made her appear a little less hopeless. But then she spoke.

“Vanitas, are you… worried about me?”

He recoiled, nearly bumping into the door. “What? Of course not. I just wanna know what got you like this.”

Aqua stared at him bit longer; her eyes boring into his like she was trying to figure out if he was lying. She must have assumed he wasn’t as she soon dismissed her Keyblade, the light vanishing with it. But before he could get used to the darkness, she switched on the lamp on her bedside table, bathing the room in a warmer light. He had to adjust again, but at least he could get a better look at her now. Her eyes were still red-rimmed, yet she was already looking far less wrecked. Even though most of her body was under the covers, he could tell she was wearing something different to usual; a plain blue t-shirt that matched her hair. It was the first time he had really seen her in something other than her normal clothes or armour, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

“Do you really want to know?” she asked. Her voice had returned to more of its usual tone, though he could still sense the uncertainty in it. But the way she looked at him, it was like part of her was daring him to keep pressing the issue. And he wasn’t one to back down on one of her challenges, whether she was conscious of it or not.

Without a word, he stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. Her eyes followed him the entire time he moved further inside, with her clearly not willing to let her guard down again. Not wanting to get too close, he stopped at the foot of her bed and stood over it with his arms crossed. He glared at her, waiting for her to speak, and she soon delivered.

“I had a nightmare. That’s all it was.”

He eyed her dubiously. “A nightmare?”

That couldn’t be all it was. There had to be more to the story. A plain old nightmare wouldn’t do this to her.

“Yes,” she continued, looking away. Her courage was faltering. “I was… back in the Realm of Darkness. I was wandering there, all alone. Then these Heartless came and I tried to fight them and couldn’t. I started sinking into the darkness, and I remember crying out, but no one would come.” She paused her story to bury her head in her knees. “Then I woke up, and… I guess it’s because it’s the first night I’ve had since being back without my friends, so I…”

“What? You were scared?”

Aqua murmured in affirmation. “I’ve been getting these nightmares for a while, but after waking up, all I’d need to do was search for Ven or Terra’s light, and I’d know I was okay.”

He couldn’t believe it. She was like this because her friends weren’t around? Getting so upset for such a pathetic reason was easy pickings for him to taunt her with. But something was wrong.

He didn’t feel like it.

“Sorry,” she spoke, wiping her eyes. Had she started crying again? “I know you probably don’t care. You should head back before it gets too late.”

“How long were you there?”

She looked up at him, confused like she didn’t understand the question. Vanitas grumbled.

“How long were you there?” he repeated. “In the Realm of Darkness.”

Aqua seemed to get it that time. She gazed off into the distance, like she was recalling a memory.

“I’m… not really sure how long exactly. I know since the time I left and the time I came back, it was nearly twelve years I think.”

Vanitas gaped at her. He knew she had been stuck down there for a while, but hearing the actual number of years was astounding.

“But it didn’t feel like that,” she insisted upon seeing his expression. “I remember it seemed endless, but with time still like that, there was no way of knowing how long I was actually down there.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “To be honest, sometimes it doesn’t even feel real that I’m back. I worry that this is all some sort of dream I’m having, and I’m really still down there.”

It doesn’t feel real that she’s back? For once, that was a feeling he completely shared with Aqua.

“I doubt it,” he muttered. “If this was all a dream, do you really think I’d be here?”

She looked up at him, surprised again. “Why do you say that? You can’t be too sure, you know.”

He scoffed at her and turned away. She wasn’t going to get to him saying things like that.

“What about you? How long were you there?” It took a moment for him to register her asking him a question. He shrugged his shoulders.

“Who knows. Not that long.”

But as he thought about it, he realised he truly didn’t know how long he had been down there. He remembered regaining consciousness, feeling like absolute garbage, and doing all he could to fight for his fragile life. That period of time didn’t feel very long, but he could have been there for any amount of time before waking up, and it was impossible to know.

“Ah, really?” said Aqua. “I guess I should have known that. It must have been after we fought you in the Keyblade Graveyard.”

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

“But it’s a good thing you weren’t there as long as me. That’s something I’d never wish on anyone.”

Vanitas watched her. She was fiddling with the ends of her blanket, avoiding his eyes while wearing a stony expression. It was something else, seeing her try to stay strong while talking about her trauma. Especially after what he just witnessed.

“…And you went back there anyway,” he mumbled.

“Yes,” she spoke. “I already told you why.”

He scoffed. “That’s stupid. You clearly can’t stand the place if it reduces you to this. Is going back there to search for Sora really worth it?”

“He’s the one who saved me from it,” she told him, her glare turning stern. “I owe him everything.”

“Still, even if he is there, it’s only been a couple of weeks at most. Was anyone in such a rush to get you out?”

She stilled at that, and it made Vanitas think he must have struck a nerve. Only instead of getting angry like he expected, she only returned to that broken look she had before. As Vanitas watched her in confusion, realisation struck.

Wait. Had someone known she was down there?

“Hey,” he spoke, feeling more horrified than he intended. “The reason you were there so long is because no one knew where you were, right?”

She answered with a nod. “Yes. At first.”

“At _first_?”

Aqua winced, recoiling back into her headboard again. “I… did get found earlier. But some things happened, and I had to stay behind a little longer. It was my choice.”

This was all news to him. He couldn’t imagine why someone wouldn’t try to get her out sooner if they knew she was there. Especially somewhere like that.

“But you got out,” he continued. “So whoever found you, they came back for you, right?”

“…Eventually.”

For some reason, that word pissed him off more than anything else that night.

“…What does that mean?” He knew his voice had a dangerous edge to it, but for once, he hoped Aqua didn’t pick up on it.

She shook her head. “It wasn’t like that. There was a lot going on with the worlds in trouble and everything. Mickey probably came back as soon as he could.”

“Mickey?” he exclaimed, almost jumping up in surprise. “The rat king?”

Aqua frowned. “He’s a mouse.”

“I don’t care. So you’re telling me he knew you were down there, but waited until his schedule cleared before trying to get you out? Some friend you have.”

“I told you it wasn’t like that!” she yelled, her head shaking. “He just… couldn’t.”

“Is that what you’ve told yourself? Did anyone even care you were gone?”

“Shut up.” Her head snapped up to glare at him, her eyes locked onto his in warning. They burned from the anger that began setting in, but he wasn’t about to stop.

He met her glare head on as he continued to speak. “Once your two best friends were out of the picture, there was no one left to care about you, is that it? You were all alone, left to wallow in pain with no one to turn to.”

“Shut up!” she screamed out. Her hands gripped her blanket with enough force that it nearly tore. But then he heard the sound of a Keyblade being summoned. He barely had enough time to call on his in time to block the beam of light she shot at him. Even though his quick reflexes had kept him alive, the force of the blast nearly knocked him backwards. Once he regained his footing, he stared down at Aqua. That was another cheap shot, she had to have known that. His eyes followed along her Keyblade, stopping at her face.

But this was wrong. She was supposed to be angry, right? Or at least she was a few seconds ago. But that face was wrong, like she regretted what just happened. Her Keyblade vanished almost as soon as it appeared, with her head falling to her knees soon after. They were the only thing propping her up as her sobs started up again.

As she broke down once more, Vanitas glared at her. There was a strange feeling forming in his chest. She had attacked him out of anger, something he had wanted, but there wasn’t an ounce of victory to be felt. Describing that emotion in his heart as pity made the most sense, even if it was for the prideful Master Aqua. But along with that, his irritation started to grow again.

“What’s this?” he sneered. “You finally get angry enough to attack me for real, only to go and break down again.”

“I… didn’t mean to,” she hiccupped in response, and that only made things worse.

He narrowed his eyes, dismissing his Keyblade with a flash. “Enough of that. I don’t wanna hear you say you’re sorry either. You know that despair you’ve been feeling? What you felt in the Realm of Darkness? That’s how I felt every day of my life. No one ever cared for me. What you felt back during your little trip was all I ever knew. Pain. Loneliness.”

Another sob left her body. Vanitas could only watch the pitiful state of his former opponent. She let herself cry uncontrollably, like he wasn’t even there anymore. But what did she have to cry about? That attack? It was the only thing she did all night that made sense. Was it about what happened to her in the Realm of Darkness? But what she didn’t understand was that aside from having to go through that awful experience, she had everything she could ever want. She and Vanitas were nothing alike. It’s like she didn’t know what she had, and that thought annoyed him more than anything else.

Out of the two of them, he was clearly the one who had suffered the most. She had it all; friends, a comfortable life, the respect of the people around her. Things he had long dreamed to have for himself. It should have infuriated him watching her wallow like this. Yet for some reason, he didn’t feel as angry as he should have been. After casting one last gaze over her, he spoke again.

“But it’s not the same for you. You know that. You know how much those idiots care about you. If they could have back then, they would have come to your rescue in seconds.”

Her sobs began to slow. He watched as she slowly lifted her head up to stare at him, not bothering to hide the tears.

Vanitas met her stare with an intense one of his own. “So I don’t wanna see you acting all miserable like this. You may have tasted despair, but that’s all long gone for you. Watching you wallow in loneliness like this pisses me off.”

She blinked at him, sitting there in silence while she absorbed what he said. After propping herself up again, she wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Vanitas,” she spoke. “You… really feel this way?”

His eyes narrowed. “About what?”

“About being in pain your whole life. I had no idea.”

“No, you don’t.”

“I just didn’t think…” she swallowed. “I never gave much thought to what you were feeling.”

“Why would you? We were enemies. You should know better than to pity the person trying to kill you.”

“You’re wrong,” she spoke, shaking her head. “I should pity them.”

He nearly snarled at her. “Well, you can keep it.”

She frowned at that, but it was hard to tell if it was from what he said, or if she was just still feeling the effects for what happened earlier. Her hands played with the ends of her blanket again.

“Did you… really have no one?” she asked, looking up at him. Those bright blue eyes stared at him, still red from tears. There was a strange allure to them that he had to force himself to ignore.

“Not unless you count Xehanort.”

“Do you?”

Vanitas gritted his teeth at the question. This was supposed to be about her, yet she somehow swung things back around to him.

“That’s a joke, right?” he asked, trying to mock her. But he knew his tone hadn’t come across that way.

Aqua looked at him, the look on her face making Vanitas wish he had chosen his words more carefully. But before Vanitas could say anything else, Aqua pulled herself out from the covers. He thought she was about to get up, but all she did was just swing her legs over the side of the bed. She patted the space next to her and stared up at him.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

He balked at her. “What?”

“I mean it. We haven’t really had a chance to just talk. I think it could be a good thing.”

There’s no way she was serious.

“How do I know you won’t attack me again?”

That guilt returned to her face. “I really didn’t mean to. You just… make me so angry sometimes.”

He couldn’t help himself and let out a grin. “Good.”

“No.” She shook her head. “Not good. That’s why we need to talk things out.”

“And what exactly do you think you’ll get out of it?” he sneered. “My weaknesses?”

Aqua sighed at that. “That’s not my intention, but even if it was, you did just see me at a very weak point. It’s only fair.”

He snorted, his head falling to his hand. She was actually serious. The more rational part of his brain wanted to deny that invitation, knowing that it could only go badly for him. But before he knew it, his feet were carrying him over to the bed. He planted himself at the other end of it, doing what he could to distance himself from her, but even that was futile. The whole bed smelt like her; it didn’t matter how far away he sat. Just like that, whatever resistances he had built up began to crack.

And to make things worse, she seemed way too pleased about the whole thing.

“Thank you,” she said, peering over at him. “I really don’t know a lot about you. I know a lot of the surface level stuff, but I can’t say I actually know who you are. Or about what was in your past.”

“That’s on purpose,” he muttered. “It’s not like I ever told you anything.”

There’s no way he was going to make this easy for her. He wouldn’t even look at her as he spoke to him, not wanting to give away more than he meant to.

“Well, is there anything you want to say now?” she asked. “It might be good to get things off your chest.”

He scoffed but didn’t answer her. If she wanted him to talk, she’d have to get more creative. He started considering what she would need to do to get him to divulge his deepest, darkest secrets, but that thought began leading him down a certain road he was trying to avoid. Being so close was really starting to mess with his mind.

But it was an interesting thought. Would she even go that far? It was more likely the mere idea would just disgust her.

“Okay,” Aqua murmured, as if she herself was in thought. He must have taken too long to say something. “Do you ever get nightmares?”

“Of course I do.”

She jumped up at that, getting him to turn his head towards her. He let out a chuckle at the look of surprise on her face. That sort of thing didn’t even seem like a secret to him, so it was weird that she would act so shocked that he admitted something like that.

“Do you really think the nights are any easier for me?” he asked her. “The difference is I’m used to it.”

“I’m sorry.”

Another apology. He shot her a glare. “What are you sorry for? Relax, it’s not like they’re about you.”

“Well, I guess that’s good,” she sighed. “I’d like to think I’m not horrible enough for you to be having nightmares about me.”

He chuckled. “Are you kidding? You’re the bane of my existence. I should be having nightmares with you in them.”

At least that would make more sense than what actually happened. Because ignoring how she basically lived rent free in his head while he was awake, she definitely had appeared in some of his dreams. And he wouldn’t really call them nightmares.

“Alright,” she chuckled, not taking him seriously. “So what do you dream about?”

As she spoke, she pulled her legs up to her chest. She wasn’t wearing any stockings, so it was his first time seeing her bare legs. They were as flawless as the rest of her. He pulled his eyes away before she could notice him staring.

“Not much,” he muttered, trying to hide his face from her. She had to be doing that on purpose.

“Come on, I told you what I dreamt of,” she argued. “If you prefer, it doesn’t even have to be anything painful.”

He scoffed. “Don’t you remember? All I know is pain. Dreams included.”

Even the rare occasion he did dream of her, he could argue the pain came from the humiliation that something like that would manifest in his head in the first place. But he’d rather run around to everyone screaming about how Ventus was now his best friend than tell her something like that.

“…Do you dream about your life before?”

Was she still pressing it? It wasn’t even subtle.

He clenched his teeth. “Obviously. What, are you trying to get me to tell you what it was like?”

“Do you want to?”

Vanitas groaned, his head falling to his hands. She really wasn’t going to let it go.

“Why do you wanna know so badly?” he asked, mumbling into his hands. “Are you gonna tell me that?”

“I’m sorry,” he heard her say. “I know it’s probably none of my business.”

“It really isn’t. You sure are nosey, Master Aqua.”

He looked up at her to gauge her reaction and caught the frown on her face. Though it was closer to a pout than one of sadness. He couldn’t help himself and let out a grin.

“Hey, what’s that face for?” he asked her.

Her eyes widened. “Me? I could ask you the same. You’re the one smiling like that.”

Vanitas chuckled, turning his body around so his back was to the foot of the bed.

“Smiling? You’re imagining-”

“Hey,” she spoke, her face turning stern. “Get your shoes off my bed.”

He gaped at her a moment, before looking down at the boots he still wore. Was she really gonna get upset about this of all things? He let out a laugh.

“I’ll pass. I’m way too comfy to move.”

Vanitas couldn’t have imagined what she’d do next. While he stared at her smugly, almost daring her to do something, Aqua took the challenge and dove towards him. There was no time to react as she pulled herself right next to him and used her arms to shove him off the bed. After a brief feeling of contact, he tumbled to the ground, unable to move at first from the sheer surprise. As he sat in place on the floor, he looked up to see Aqua crouched over where he’d been sitting, staring down at him with a smirk.

“That’ll teach you. Why don’t you learn some manners next time.”

He gaped at her. She had gotten so close to him without a second thought. She even touched him.

And yet, he hadn’t minded.

He grinned back at her. “Last I checked, shoving people off beds wasn’t the height of manners either.”

“Yeah, well you had it coming.”

He was still sitting on the floor, but he wasn’t in any rush to get up. His eyes were drawn to Aqua the entire time, picking up on subtle things. Like the way her hair hung around her face as she looked down, or the way her eyes had brightened considerably. Then he realised, it was the first time that night she hadn’t looked so sad.

“You’re so weird,” he mused aloud, and like that, Aqua’s smile dropped.

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Do you really wanna know more about me? Or is it just some kind of ploy?”

She shook her head. “No. I wouldn’t do something like that. And… I’m not going to force you, so don’t worry about it.”

“Well, here’s an idea,” he spoke, jumping to his feet. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not in any rush to go back to sleep. Why don’t we spar a little, and if you win, I might decide to tell you something about my past.”

She blinked at him. “Now? But it’s so late.”

“Who cares. It’s not like we’d be bothering anyone. And you look like you could use the distraction.”

Aqua thought about it for a moment. He could see her arguing with herself about it, but it wasn’t long before the cracks started to form.

“Okay,” she relented. “Just for a bit. But you need to get something if you win.”

“You mean when I win,” he smirked. “Maybe I’ll get you to divulge some more of your secrets.”

She nodded her head. “Yes, that sounds fair.”

Her reaction was more lacklustre than he would have liked, but he’d be sure to get more out of her during training. He rolled his eyes. “Alright, so long as you know what you’re getting into. Let’s go.”

Vanitas headed for the door, eager to get started. It might end up being the only enjoyment he’d have that night.

“Wait!” Aqua called out. “I can’t spar like this.”

He turned back to face her. Even though he expected her to be right behind him, she hadn’t moved an inch from her bed. She was gesturing at her clothes, and while they weren’t what she usually wore, he didn’t see what the big deal was. He supposed she’d want shoes at least, but that’s all he could come up with.

“Alright,” he shrugged, standing with his back to the door. “Do what you gotta.”

As he stood there, she glared at him with an intensity different from before. He didn’t really get what the problem was. It was like she wanted to say something else to him but couldn’t.

“Come on,” he grumbled. “What’s the hold up?”

To his complete shock, her cheeks flushed red.

“You gotta leave,” she almost hissed at him. He just stared at her and when he failed to move, she jumped to her feet and stormed over to him. Before long, she was shoving him out the door.

He was still resisting, and in his confused state he let out a laugh.

“Seriously? What’s your problem?”

There it was. On her face was the strangest look of rage he had ever seen. Her entire face was completely red, and he would say she looked ready to kill him if it weren’t for the panic in her eyes.

“I told you to get out! Right now!”

After screaming that, she finally managed to shove him into the hall and slammed the door shut after him. While he was getting his bearings, he heard the lock click behind him. He was starting to get annoyed by her weird reaction and tapped on the door.

“Did you just lock this?” he called out. “You know I have a Keyblade, right?”

“Vanitas!” she yelled out, her fury seeping right through the door. “If you open that door, I’ll show you the true meaning of suffering!”

He jumped away at that, feeling equal parts amused and terrified. For once, he had no doubt she’d go through with it if he tested her. And while the thought intrigued him, it didn’t seem like the smartest thing to do.

Once things had started to settle down, he recalled the look on her face as she shoved him out of the room. He had seen her angry before, but this time it was layered with something else. He would say it was a sort of panic, but that didn’t feel quite right. Whatever it was, it made something in his heart shudder, and he knew he really wouldn’t mind seeing that sort of face again.

He’d managed to compose himself by the time the lock clicked open again. The door soon followed and Aqua stepped out, almost cautiously. She was wearing her normal top, shorts, and stockings, but was missing a lot of the other elements such as the sashes. Her sleeves were gone too, leaving only her gloves behind. Seeing her dressed like this made Vanitas wonder just how many pieces made up her normal outfit.

“Alright, shall we go?” she asked. He could still see remnants of red on her cheeks, making him think about her reaction again. As interesting as it was, he still couldn’t justify it in his head. All she did was change her clothes.

Then it came to him. She changed her clothes. His mind screeched to a halt remembering what he said to her. And her reaction. Then he had a horrifying realisation. Had she thought he wanted to watch? What did she take him for? Even though he wanted to think he was way above that sort of thing, there was some part of him picturing what would have happened if he stayed. But he pulled himself back to reality. That was a very dangerous line of thinking.

Still, he needed to fix things.

“I didn’t know you were getting changed,” he murmured, quiet enough that he wondered if Aqua even heard him. But from the way she stopped in place, she did.

“What, did you think I’d fight in my pyjamas?”

She did have a point, and he wanted to beat himself up for not realising sooner. With nothing else to add, he kept his mouth shut as he followed her to the main hall. At least soon enough there would be something else to focus on. After wiping his mind clear, they took their positions in the centre of the room and drew their Keyblades. Just like that, the confusion earlier was forgotten, and it became much like the other times they had sparred, down to the serious look on Aqua’s face.

“I’m sure we’re both exhausted,” she said, readying her stance. “So let’s not go so hard today.”

He scoffed, tightening the grip on his blade. “What? You’re gonna go easy on me again? Because I intend to go all out.”

She smirked at him. “We’ll see. You do seem a bit spacey.”

Vanitas felt his own face heat up. She was still thinking about what he did. Without saying a thing, he charged at her, determined to make her forget. But just like every other time, even as he put his all into it, his blade was blocked by hers effortlessly. If anything, that was only further proof of her resolve. It amazed him that she could still remain so strong after everything that happened earlier. 

He gritted his teeth, forcing her back. She hopped away; her movements limber as always. He wanted to think it was his efforts that pushed her back, but it was hard to believe that from the way she smirked at him. After charging at her again, he yelled out to her.

“Will you stop underestimating me?”

She didn’t even bother taking that hit, instead she merely stepped to the side of him. But Vanitas could see it. Even if she started this acting all serious, he could that smile on her face. It showed how much she was enjoying herself despite everything. And that really messed with him.

It was hard to keep the grin off his own face as he ran towards her again. No matter how much he tried to hold it back, they joy that came from when they fought was infectious. As their blades clashed, his eyes met with hers, and he heard something like a hum come from her mouth.

“As soon as you beat me, I will.”

He let out a laugh, pulling his face closer to hers. It was an attempt to psyche her out, and from the way her eyes widened just slightly, it worked.

“Careful, Aqua,” he chuckled, trying to hide the delight he felt. “I might decide to get serious.”

The two sparred for a short while, trading blows with each other. But as the night went on, fatigue began setting into both of them. Vanitas could feel his legs starting to give out, though he was determined not to be the first to fall. But just like last few times they sparred, Aqua was the first to dismiss her weapon. She stood there stretching her wrists out while he was fighting to catch his breath.

“Why don’t we call it a draw?” she suggested. Vanitas glared at her, but he was too tired to argue.

“Fine,” he muttered, dismissing his Keyblade. He stretched his arms above his head, the movement an attempt to keep his limbs working. As he did, he kept an eye on Aqua. He thought she’d start heading off, but she just stood there, her hands twining together. Like she was nervous about something.

“Hey Vanitas,” she spoke, staring at her hands. “I don’t think I’m ready to go to sleep yet.”

He stared at her blankly. He had no clue where she was going with this, but he could feel certain thoughts forming in his head again. After quashing them, he opened his mouth cautiously.

“I thought you didn’t want to spar anymore.”

“I don’t,” she said. “But it is a lovely night. I was thinking of going on a walk outside for a while.”

“Do what you want.”

He half expected that to be the end of it, but he really should have known better by now.

“Sorry, but…” she began. “I don’t really want to be alone right now.”

She had to have some awareness of what she was saying. There were more thoughts he had to stamp out, but even so, she was being so roundabout. It was starting to get on his nerves again.

He glared at her. “Would you quit avoiding it and tell me what you want?”

At his words, she finally looked at him again. Her surprise was clear as day, but to his shock, it started devolving into embarrassment.

“You don’t have to, but would you like to come with me?”

Vanitas felt himself freeze up. There was no way she was saying what he thought she was. He was sure she’d be sick of his presence by now.

“You must really be desperate if you’re asking me to do something like that.”

“So, is that a no?”

He grimaced. That wasn’t what he was saying at all.

“Fine,” he got out. “Not like I was gonna sleep anyway.”

Her face lightened up immensely, just with that. He couldn’t believe it. There really was something wrong with her.

Before long, he was following her out of the castle. He had expected the walk to go a bit longer, but the night sky had caught her attention as they neared the training grounds. That was how they ended up sitting on a bench together, watching the stars. Aqua had mentioned it was a better place than the courtyard, and he was inclined to agree. Even with those weird training wheels nearby, the view of the sky was much clearer without the lights of the castle. He realised the irony of the light making something worse, and it was something Vanitas was tempted to point out. But when he got ready to taunt her, he caught her staring at him out of the corner of his eye and lost his nerve. Looks like she wasn’t as entranced by the sky as he was. His neck started to prickle.

“What is it now?” he muttered, forgetting what he was about to say. As he turned his head to her completely, she jolted a bit at realising she’d been caught.

“Sorry,” she said. “It’s just I should thank you. I know you were trying to get my mind off things.”

He scoffed, turning back to look at the sky. “Of course not. I just had nothing better to do.”

She said nothing else for a moment. Despite that, Vanitas felt compelled to look back at her. She wasn’t staring at him anymore, nor the stars. Instead, she gazed out over the valley, her hands entwined together again.

“Hey, remember our deal?” she asked. “If one of us wins, the other gets to tell them something.”

Vanitas watched her, wondering where she was going with this.

“Yeah?”

“Well, a draw sorta means we both win. So I guess we both have to talk.”

He glared at her, puzzled by what she said. “That’s not what a draw is. But whatever.”

“I can go first, if you like,” she said. It was clear to him now; something must be eating at her. She took a breath. “Do you want to know why I saved you in the Realm of Darkness? The real reason?”

Vanitas stalled. He hadn’t expected that.

“Real reason?” he got out. “What do you mean by that?”

She took another breath, as if trying to summon her courage. “I’m not sure if you knew this, but back when I was down there, there was a time when I fell to darkness myself.”

He had to stop himself from gaping at her. That surprised him. The idea that someone like her had fallen was unthinkable. Or at least it would have been if he hadn’t seen her break down earlier that night.

Still, it was difficult to imagine someone so bright succumbing to darkness.

“You did?” he asked, watching her expression. There was that shame again.

“Yes,” she continued, looking away from him. “It was triggered by something out of my control, but I just… let it happen. I still remember that moment, where I felt it would just be better if I just gave up and faded into the darkness. Even after I was brought back, I was terrified of ever feeling that way again.”

It was like they were back in her bedroom. That look of helplessness had returned and he couldn’t stand it.

“And?” he spoke. “Why are you telling me this?”

She turned back to him, finally willing herself to look him in the eye again. “So, when I saw you down there, something came to me. If I can save you, bring you to the light, then I won’t have to fear falling to the darkness again. I thought if you can be saved, anyone can.” As she spoke, she brought her knees up to her face. “I know, it’s a selfish reason. I didn’t really listen to what you wanted. I guess all I wanted was to reassure myself.”

He glared at her. “You may think that, but we’re nothing alike. You just said you fell because of something out of your control.”

“I know. But even so, that’s still the reason I saved you. Why I’m still trying now.” Something shifted in her expression. “And I think you’re trying too.”

“Huh?”

“Before, you were trying to comfort me. Even if you won’t admit it. You wanted me to get my mind off things, and it worked, even just for a little while. But I just wish you would use a bit more tact.”

He scoffed, turning away from her. “Well, you’re not exactly someone who needs coddling.”

Aqua let out a laugh, a sound he felt like he hadn’t heard in ages. He did his best not to show how much it affected him.

“I guess not,” she said, letting her laughter die down. “But hey, now it’s your turn. You can tell me anything you like.”

He thought about it for a moment. She was still doing her best to dig into his past, something he wasn’t entirely on board for. But then again, she had showed him a completely new side of her today, something he had never expected to see. Vulnerability. Even so, that wasn’t really a reason to start divulging his own secrets.

But something about the way she looked at him stirred something within him. If he didn’t know any better, he would think she was genuinely interested.

“Fine. I’ll tell you something,” he spoke. “I don’t think you know what it was really like training under Xehanort.”

Her eyes widened at hearing the name, but they soon softened again.

“You’re right. I can’t imagine what that must have been like.”

He bristled at her response and cast his gaze over the valley instead. “For his purposes, I needed to be a being of pure darkness. Darkness is pain, so he made sure to cultivate it as much as possible. He did what he could to make sure I suffered.”

After speaking, he looked over at her to try and gauge her reaction. She seemed to be listening intently, but there was a look of horror creeping onto her face.

“What… exactly did he do to you?”

He didn’t want to look at it anymore and turned away. “Training. Or at least that’s what he called it. I know it’s nothing like what you three went through. But when that wasn’t happening, he liked to leave me to my own devices a lot, with only the Unversed to keep me company. And you can probably guess how pleasant they were to have around.”

She shook her head. “No, I know it must have been terrible. But… when you say training, what do you mean exactly?”

He turned back to her and flashed a grin. “You really wanna know?”

“Yes. But only if you want to tell me.”

She wasn’t going to drop it. Fine, she would regret asking.

“Whenever he bothered to interact with me, only one of two things would happen.” He held out two fingers. “Either he’d go on and on about my destiny, how one day I’d forge the X-Blade and unleash its ultimate power. Or,” he spoke, forcing a grin to his face. “He’d ‘train’ me by beating me until I couldn’t move. If I was supposed to be a being of darkness who despised everything, it was only natural that included him.”

Looking back at her, he saw she was hanging onto his every word. Not only that, her look of horror had intensified. But after the brief feeling of victory he had, it all came tumbling down. It wasn’t just horror. It was pity. And he’d made that happen by telling his stupid story.

“Vanitas, I…” she began. “I really had no idea. I’m so sorry. I wish I’d known.”

“I don’t wanna hear it,” he muttered. “It doesn’t matter now anyway; the old geezer is gone. Besides, what could you have done?”

She seemed taken aback by his question. “If I knew someone was suffering like that, I would have helped them.”

“Even if they were pure darkness?” he asked, moving closer to her. “I seem to remember your Master despised it more than anything else. Do you really think he would have let you help someone like me?”

“I…” She was struggling to respond. “I would have tried.”

“But don’t you see how pointless this conversation is? You can’t change the past, so get over it.”

She didn’t say anything for a while. This whole thing was annoying him. He made such a huge mistake.

“What about now?” she asked. “Are you still in pain?”

He wanted to glower at her, but he ended up thinking about it instead. It was true, despite his weakened form, existing was nowhere near as painful as it used to be. He couldn’t make sense of it, nor did he really want to.

“I don’t know,” he said after a while. “I guess now, I’m feeling different types of pain.”

“Different how?”

He stiffened. He really didn’t want to elaborate on that. “I don’t know how. It just is.”

“Alright,” she sighed, turning back towards the stars. “I won’t push it. I know I’ve probably done enough of that.”

“Good.”

Before she could say anything else, Vanitas watched as Aqua wrapped her arms around herself as a particularly chilly breeze blew past. He could see the goosebumps forming on her arms as she shivered. She spun towards him when she noticed him staring.

“Aren’t you cold?”

He shrugged. “Not really. Why, are you?”

“Yes,” she said through chattering teeth. “It’s freezing tonight. We should head inside.”

“What?” he said, grinning as she stood up. “Master Aqua can’t handle a little chill?”

She spun towards him, her lips curled into a frown. “You know, when you call me that, I can’t help but feel like you’re making fun of me.”

“It’s because I am.”

She huffed and crossed her arms over herself. It was like she was trying to look intimidating, but he could still see her shivering. “I’ll have you know, I worked hard to get that title.”

“It’s not like you had much competition.”

That was the wrong thing to say from the way Aqua’s eyes narrowed.

“It’s not a contest. And besides, Terra and Ven work just as hard as I do.”

He scoffed. “Hardly. You’re on a completely other level.”

As he spoke, he could see her eyes widen.

“What? No I’m not.”

Getting annoyed again, he stood up to face her. “In case you forgot, you’re the one I aim to defeat. Do you really think I’d bother if I thought you weren’t strong enough?”

She didn’t say anything, she just stared at him for the longest time. Her arms were still wrapped around her body, and he saw their grip tighten.

“You… really think I’m strong? Even after everything you saw? After everything I told you?”

“Are you serious?” He almost wanted to pull his hair out. It was like nothing got through to her. “I thought I told you I’d had enough of that self-loathing. If you can’t see the obvious, then you’re the biggest idiot here.”

For a moment, from the way she looked at him he thought she was going to start crying again. But then to his shock, she started to laugh. A genuine laugh, the kind that ran through his head without mercy. She looked up at him, wiping a tear from her eye.

“How did we get here?” she asked, her eyes finding his. “I never expected you of all people to comfort me.”

He pulled his eyes from hers before she could trap them.

“Don’t be ridiculous, that’s not what I’m doing.”

“But thank you for tonight. I really mean it.”

He groaned. “Please, I didn’t do anything worth mentioning. If anything, I’ve just insulted you.”

She chuckled at that. It was like she didn’t believe him. “Of course.”

After that, she stood herself before heading back to the courtyard, gesturing at Vanitas to follow. He didn’t see much other choice as they were going the same direction anyway. But he made sure not to walk so close, positive that his heart had enough of being so close to her. Even so, a small part of him didn’t want this to end. As if she had somehow heard that part, Aqua stopped as soon as they reached the castle stairs. Just by looking at her, he could tell there was more she wanted to say.

“Go on, spit it out,” he called out her. She spun back to him in surprise, but then a nervous smile came to her face.

“I’m sorry if this is sudden, but would it be alright if I called you a friend?”

He jumped back at that, not expecting it at all.

“What?” he choked out. “Why would you wanna do that?”

She shrugged. “I mean, distracting someone from their nightmare is something a friend would do. I know you probably don’t think of me as one right now, and that’s okay, but I would like to at least think of you as one.”

Of all the things she had done or said, that was what it took to stall his mind completely.

_A friend? She wants to be friends?_

His heart hammered in his chest, almost like it was trying to break free. Never in a million years did he think he would hear those words, especially from someone he once tormented so much. He would have thought she was lying, but he knew she wasn’t the sort of person who would do that.

“Vanitas?”

The sound of her voice calling his name brought him back to reality. She was looking at him in such concern that he felt a wave of self-consciousness slam into him. He snapped his head away from her, just so she couldn’t see his face.

“Would you quit being so sappy?” he got out. “I thought I’d finally get a break from all this after Ventus left.”

“So, can I?”

“Look…” he sputtered, not sure what to say. “You can do what you want. I know I can’t talk you out of doing stupid stuff like this. And it really is stupid, just so you know.”

She let out another laugh. “Alright. I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Wait just a second!” he yelled out, trying to hide his face from her. His cheeks burned and he knew for sure he could never let her see that.

After another laugh, he heard her climb a step before stopping again.

“It’s late,” she said. “We should probably head to bed. Don’t worry though, I’ll be okay.”

“I wasn’t worried,” he insisted, but his tone was weaker than he would have liked. “Where do you even come up with this stuff?”

When he glanced at her, he caught her staring at him again, with a smile so bright it was hard to pull his eyes away.

“Okay, whatever you say. Goodnight, Vanitas.”

She waved at him, and something tugged at him to reply.

“…Goodnight.”

Just that one word made her smile even brighter. It really was hard to look away. Before long, she turned and ascended the rest of the staircase. When she disappeared inside, he gave himself a moment to ground himself, his hand reaching up to clutch at his heart. The thing still pounded within his chest, rebelling against his more rational side.

His other hand rose to his face, feeling the heat that accumulated there. Why had those words, over everything, had such an effect on him? But he could argue, everything she did had an effect on him.

It was maddening. He knew what he wanted, but she always had to go and throw a wrench in his plans. It was her specialty, and she’d arguably been doing it since they met. Being around her had always thrilled him, but now he was terrified it was for the wrong reasons.

He pulled his hand away from his face, willing himself to get a grip. She wanted friendship? It was so ridiculous it should have made him laugh. But all he could think of was that smile, and the idea of her doing that more often around him. It didn’t make any sense to him. Her smile should have meant nothing. She should have meant nothing. That’s why he had to destroy her.

But again, that thought made him stall. And there was no point trying to ponder it any further, as he knew where that might lead his wayward mind. He knew there was a reason, but he would die before even attempting to uncover it. The whole thing was so stupid.

Yet, when he recalled her asking him to be her friend, as well as her nervousness while doing it, something almost floated in his chest. It was something he’d almost never thought he would feel, especially here.

He was… happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Just letting you know, I’ve set up my Twitter properly where you can sit through the writing process with me. It’s https://twitter.com/otakuaster if anyone’s interested. There’s also my tumblr as well http://otakuaster.tumblr.com/ 
> 
> Thank you again!


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